German Verb Prefixes [PDF]

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German Verb Prefixes Verbalpräfixe - Vorsilben bei Zeitwörtern Verb Prefixes There are three kinds of verb prefixes in German:  

separable (trennbar), inseparable (untrennbar), and



dual prefixes (usually a preposition) that can be both.

Separable prefixes are stressed (betont) in their pronunciation; inseparable prefixes are unstressed (unbetont). In this verb prefix chart, we have divided the prefixes into their three categories. By adding various prefixes to a base verb, German can produce new meanings:  

kommen > abkommen (digress),



ankommen (arrive),



bekommen (get),



entkommen (escape).

(English does the same thing, using Greek and Latin prefixes: form > deform, inform, perform, etc.) Knowing the basic meaning of a verb prefix can be helpful in learning German vocabulary, but not all prefixes have a specific meaning, nor does each prefix always have the same meaning. For instance, knowing the meaning of the prefix   

ver- may or may not help you understand the meaning of verbs like verschlafen (to oversleep) or versprechen (to promise).

The prefix meanings can be interesting and helpful, but they are no substitute for learning vocabulary.!!!

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Separable Prefixes Trennbare Präfixe Prefix

Meaning

Examples

from

abblenden (screen, fade out, dim [lights]) abdanken (abdicate, resign) abkommem (get away) abnehmen (pick up; decrease, reduce) abschaffen (abolish, do away with) abziehen (deduct, withdraw, print [photos])

at, to

anbauen (cultivate, grow, plant) anbringen (fasten, install, display) anfangen (begin, start) anhängen (attach) ankommen (arrive) anschauen (look at, examine)

on, out, up, un-

aufbauen (build up, put up, add on) aufdrehen (turn on, unscrew, wind up) auffallen (stand out, be noticeable) aufgeben (give up; check [luggage]) aufkommen (arise, spring up; bear [costs]) aufschließen (unlock; develop [land])

out, from

ausbilden (educate, train) ausbreiten (extend, spread out) ausfallen (fail, fall out, be canceled) ausgehen (go out) aussehen (appear, look [like]) auswechseln (exchange, replace [parts])

along, with

beibringen (teach; inflict) beikommen (get hold of, deal with) beischlafen (have sexual relations with) beisetzen (bury, inter) beitragen (contribute [to]) beitreten (join)

ein-

in, into, inward, down

einatmen (inhale) einberufen (conscript, draft; convene, summon) einbrechen (break in; break down/through, cave in) eindringen (force entry into, penetrate, besiege) einfallen (collapse; occur to, remind) eingehen (enter, sink in, be received)

fort-

away, forth, onward

ab-

an-

auf-

aus-

bei-

fortbilden (continue education) fortbringen (take away [for repair], post) fortpflanzen (propagate, reproduce; be transmitted) fortsetzen (continue)

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forttreiben (drive away)

mit-

nach-

vor-

weg-

zu-

zurück-

along, with, co-

mitarbeiten (cooperate, collaborate) mitbestimmen (co-determine, have a say in) mitbringen (bring along) mitfahren (go/travel with, get a lift) mitmachen (join in, go along with) mitteilen (inform, communicate)

after, copy, re-

nachahmen (imitate, emulate, copy) nachbessern (retouch) nachdrucken (reprint) nachfüllen (refill, top up/off) nachgehen (follow, go after; run slow [clock]) nachlassen (slacken, loosen)

before, forward, pre-, pro-

vorbereiten (prepare) vorbeugen (prevent; bend forward) vorbringen (propose, bring up; bring forward, produce) vorführen (present, perform) vorgehen (proceed, go on, go first) vorlegen (present, submit)

away, off

wegbleiben (stay away) wegfahren (leave, drive off, sail away) wegfallen (be discontinued, cease to apply, be omitted) weghaben (have got done, have got done) wegnehmen (take away) wegtauchen (disappear)

shut/closed, to, towards, upon

zubringen (bring/take to) zudecken (cover up, tuck in) zuerkennen (bestow, confer [on]) zufahren (drive/ride towards) zufassen (make a grab for) zulassen (authorize, license) zunehmen (increase, gain, add weight)

back, re-

zurückblenden (flash back [to]) zurückgehen (go back, return) zurückschlagen (hit/strike back) zurückschrecken (shrink back/from, recoil, shy away) zurücksetzen (reverse, mark down, put back) zurückweisen (refuse, repulse, turn back/away)

zusammen- together

zusammenbauen (assemble) zusammenfassen (summarize) zusammenklappen (fold up, shut) zusammenkommen (meet, come together) zusammensetzen (seat/put together) zusammenstoßen (collide, clash)

NOTE: All of the separable verbs form their past participle with ge-, as in zurückgegangen (zurückgehen).

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Separable Prefixes Trennbare Präfixe Prefix

Meaning

Examples

da-

there

dableiben (stay behind) dalassen (leave there)

dabei-

there

dabeibleiben (stay/stick with it) dabeisitzen (sit in on)

daran-

on/to it

darangeben (sacrifice) daranmachen (set about it, get down to it)

empor-

up, upward, over

emporarbeiten (work one's way up) emporblicken (raise one's eyes up, look up) emporragen (tower, rise above/over)

entgegen-

against, towards

entgegenarbeiten (oppose, work against) entgegenkommen (approach, come towards)

entlang-

along

entlanggehen (go/walk along) entlangschrammen (scrape by)

fehl-

awry, wrong

fehlgehen (go astray, err) fehlschlagen (go wrong, come to nothing)

fest-

firm, fixed

festlaufen (run aground) festlegen (establish, fix) festsitzen (be stuck, cling)

across from, opposite, con-

gegenüberliegen (face, be opposite) gegenüberstellen (confront, compare)

gleich-

equal

gleichkommen (equal, match) gleichsetzen (equate, treat as equivalent)

her-

from, here

herfahren (come/get here) herstellen (manufacture, produce; establish)

up from, out of

heraufarbeiten (work one's way up) heraufbeschwören (evoke, give rise to)

gegenüber-

herauf-

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heraus-

from, out of

herauskriegen (get out of, find out) herausfordern (challenge, provoke)

hin-

to, towards, there

hinarbeiten (work towards) hinfahren (go/drive there)

away, over

hinweggehen (disregard, pass over) hinwegkommen (dismiss, get over)

in addition

hinbekommen (get in addition) hinzufügen (add, enclose)

away, start

losbellen (start barking) losfahren (set/drive off)

--

stattfinden (take place, be held [event]) stattgeben (grant)

zusammen-

together, to pieces

zusammenarbeiten (co-operate, collaborate) zusammengeben (mix [ingredients]) zusammenhauen (smash to pieces) zusammenheften (staple together) zusammenkrachen (crash [down]) zusammenreißen (pull oneself together)

zwischen-

between

zwischenblenden (blend in; insert [film, music]) zwischenlanden (stop over [flying])

hinweghinzulos-

statt-

NOTE: All of the separable verbs form their past participle with ge-, as in zurückgegangen (zurückgehen).

Comments: Separable Prefix Verbs German separable prefix verbs can be compared to English verbs like "call up," "clear out" or "fill in." While in English you can say either "Clear out your drawers" or "Clear your drawers out," in German the separable prefix is almost always at the end, as in the second English example. A German example with anrufen: Heute ruft er seine Freundin an. = Today he's calling his girlfriend (up). This applies to most "normal" German sentences, but in some cases (infinitive forms or in dependent clauses) the "separable" prefix does not separate.

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Inseparable Prefixes Untrennbare Präfixe Prefix

Meaning like English be-

be-

emp-

ent-

makes verb take a direct object (acc.)

sense, receive

away from English de-/dis-

Examples s. befinden (be located) befolgen (follow) befreunden (befriend) begegnen (meet) bekommen (get) bemerken (notice, remark) empfangen (receive) empfehlen (recommend) empfinden (feel) entarten (degenerate) entbehren (miss, do without) entdecken (discover) entfallen (elude, slip) entfernen (remove, take out) entkalken (decalcify) entkleiden (disrobe, undress) entkommen (escape, get away) entlassen (discharge, release) entstehen (originate, be formed/created) entwerten (devalue, cancel)

fatal, dead

erhängen (hang, execute) erschiessen (shoot dead) ertrinken (drown)

like English re-

s. erinnern (remember) erkennen (recognize) erholen (recover, relax)

--

gebrauchen (use, make use of) gedenken (commemorate, intend) gefallen (like) gehören (belong to) gelangen (arrive at) geloben (vow) genesen (recover, recuperate) gestalten (shape, form) gestehen (confess) gewähren (grant, give, offer)

miss-

English mis-

missachten (disregard, disdain) missbrauchen (abuse, misuse) misstrauen (mistrust) missverstehen (misunderstand)

ver-

bad, awry English mis-

verachten (despise) verbilden (miseducate)

er-

ge-

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verderben (go bad, spoil) s. verfahren (go astray, get lost) verkommen (go to ruin, become run down) verschlafen (oversleep)

voll-*

lose, away/out

verdrängen (drive out) verduften (lose its aroma) verlassen (leave, abandon) verlieren (lose)

English for-

verbieten (forbid) vergeben (forgive) vergessen (forget)

???

verbinden (bandage, link, tie) vergrößern (enlarge) verhaften (arrest) versprechen (promise)

full, complete

vollenden (complete, finish) vollführen (execute, perform) vollstrecken (enforce, execute)

*NOTE: Some verbal expressions with voll treat voll as an adverb rather than a prefix, and are spelled with the adverb voll separated from the verb, even in the infinitive form. Examples include: voll dröhnen (dope/tank up), voll essen (gorge oneself), voll machen (fill [up]).

zer-

collapse, shatter, shred

zerbrechen (shatter) zerreissen (rip up, shred) zerstören (destroy)

NOTE: Inseparable-prefix verbs do not add the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. See the examples below.

Comments: Inseparable Prefix Verbs There are verbs in English that are constructed and used much like German inseparable-prefix verbs: contend, extend, pretend, and intend are all based on the verb "tend." A similar example in German is the verb finden (find). By adding various inseparable prefixes, German alters the meaning of finden to create new meanings:  

sich befinden (be located), empfinden (feel), or



erfinden (invent).

As you can see, many common German verbs are inseparable-prefix verbs. German verbs with inseparable prefixes do not add the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. Examples: bekommen (to get) hat/hatte bekommen; erwarten (to expect, await) hat/hatte erwartet; verstehen (to understand) hat/hatte verstanden. 7

Dual or Variable Prefixes Separable/Inseparable Prefixes (Can be either one or the other)

Prefix

Meaning

Examples

durch-

through

durchdringen (sep., penetrate) durchfahren (sep., drive through) durchfressen (insep., eat through [acid, rust, etc.])

hinter-

behind

hinterlassen (insep., leave; bequeath) hinterlassen (sep., allow s.o. to go behind)

over, across

überfahren (insep., run over) überfahren (sep., ferry across, cross over) überfallen (insep., attack, hold up [a bank]) übersetzen (insep., translate) übersetzen (sep., ferry across) überwinden (insep., overcome)

around

umarmen (insep., embrace, hug) umbauen (sep., renovate, convert) umbauen (insep., enclose, surround) umbinden (sep., tie on) umkehren (sep., turn back, turn inside out) umschreiben (sep., rewrite, transcribe) umschreiben (insep., paraphrase, outline; skate around [fig.]) umziehen (sep., move [to new residence], change [clothes])

unter-

down

unterbrechen (insep., interrupt, disconnect) unterbringen (sep., accomodate) unterdrücken (insep., oppress, repress, suppress) untergehen (sep., sink, perish) unternehmen (insep., do, undertake) unterwerfen (insep., conquer, subjugate) unterzeichnen (insep., sign [a document])

wider-

widerklingen (sep., resound) widerlegen (insep., refute, disprove) against, re- widerraten (insep., advise/counsel against) widersprechen (insep., contradict) widertönen (sep., echo)

über-

um-

wieder- again

wiedergeben (insep., restore, give back; recite, perform; represent, reproduce, convey) wiederkehren (sep., return, repeat, recur) wiedersehen (sep., see/meet again)

Note: All of the dual verb prefixes are stressed when separable, unstressed when inseparable: übersetzen (ferry across) vs. übersetzen (translate).

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Comments: Dual-Prefix (Variable-Prefix) Verbs In most cases, dual prefixes tend to be either mostly separable or inseparable. For example, the prefix durch- is usually separable. Its use as an inseparable prefix is limited to only a few instances, such as the verbs durchfressen, to eat through (chemically) or durchblitzen, to flash through (one's mind). On the other hand, the prefix über- is usually inseparable, as in übersetzen, to translate. Others, such as hinter-, are used in very few verbs at all. So it is best to concentrate on learning the few exceptions for the dual prefixes. Simply learn those exceptional dualprefix verbs as vocabulary. Another helpful guideline concerns the meaning of verbs with dual prefixes. If the verb is used in its literal sense (übersetzen, carry across, transfer), the prefix is separable. If the prefix is used in a figurative sense (übersetzen, to translate), the prefix is inseparable. The same verb spelling can have different meanings. For instance, when separable, umbauen means "to renovate." When inseparable, umbauen means "to enclose, surround" (to build around). In spoken German, separable verb prefixes are stressed, while the inseparable prefixes are unstressed. This also applies to the dual prefixes, depending on whether they are separable or inseparable. The form of the past participle for dual-prefix verbs also depends on whether the prefix is separable or inseparable, as outlined on the previous pages.

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SAMPLE SENTENCES Below are sample sentences with separable (trennbar) and inseparable (untrennbar) prefixes. In the examples below, the separable or inseparable prefix is shown in red, as in anfangen (to begin, sep.) or versprechen (to promise, insep.). Each verb is shown with various pronouns/persons and in various tenses.

Separable Prefix Verbs Deutsch English

Verb Present anfangen

Wann fangen wir an? When do we begin?

anfangen

Wann fängt sie an? When does she begin?

einatmen

Bitte atmen Sie tief ein. Please take a deep breath. Pres.

Tense

Perfect

Tense

NOTE: Separable-prefix verbs use the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. See the examples below.

anfangen

Wann haben sie angefangen? When did they begin? Past

anfangen

Perfect

Wann hatten Sie angefangen? When had you begun? Past

anfangen

Wann fingen wir an? When did we begin?

anfangen

Wann fing sie an? When did she begin? With

anfangen

Tense

Tense

Modals

Können wir heute anfangen? Can we begin today?

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anfangen

Ich muss jetzt anfangen. I have to begin now. Inseparable Prefix Verbs Deutsch English

Verb Present

Tense

versprechen

Ich verspreche nichts. I'm not promising anything.

versprechen

Was versprichst du mir? What are you promising me? Pres.

Perfect

Tense

NOTE: Inseparable-prefix verbs do not use the normal past participle prefix ge- in the perfect tenses. See the examples below.

versprechen

Was hast du mir versprochen? What did you promise me?

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