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SEPARABLE VERBS
Verbs That Split in Two
aufstehen, anrufen, mitkommen — the prefix jumps to the end.
Why this matters: Separable verbs are everywhere in daily German — waking up, calling someone, going shopping. Miss the split and your sentence sounds off; get it right and you sound like you've been here for years.
What Makes a Verb "Separable"?
Lots of German verbs are built from a base verb plus a small prefix — aufstehen, anrufen, mitkommen. In the infinitive (dictionary form) they're written as one word. But in a normal present-tense sentence, that prefix breaks off the front and jumps all the way to the end of the clause, while the base verb stays conjugated in the usual second position.
| Infinitive | Meaning | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| aufstehen | to get up | Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. |
| anrufen | to call (phone) | Ich rufe meine Mutter an. |
| einkaufen | to shop | Wir kaufen im Supermarkt ein. |
| mitkommen | to come along | Kommst du mit? |
| fernsehen | to watch TV | Er sieht jeden Abend fern. |
| zurückkommen | to come back | Sie kommt um 18 Uhr zurück. |
The Rule: Conjugate the Base, Send the Prefix to the End
Word order stays completely normal — subject, then the conjugated verb in position two, then everything else, then the prefix right at the end of the clause.
| Position 1 | Position 2 (verb) | Middle | End (prefix) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ich | stehe | um 7 Uhr | auf. |
| Wir | kaufen | heute im Supermarkt | ein. |
Common Separable Prefixes
| Prefix | Example verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| auf | aufstehen | to get up |
| an | anrufen | to call |
| mit | mitkommen | to come along |
| ein | einkaufen | to shop |
| aus | ausgehen | to go out |
| fern | fernsehen | to watch TV |
| zurück | zurückkommen | to come back |
| ab | abfahren | to depart |
Real Talk: not every prefixed verb splits. Verbs starting with be-, ge-, er-, ver-, zer-, ent-, emp-, or miss- are inseparable and never break apart — verstehen (to understand) and bekommen (to get) stay exactly as written, no matter where they sit in the sentence. For now, just remember: if the prefix is a real word on its own (auf, an, mit…), it splits.
📥 Download Your Lesson 14 PDF
Separable verb flashcards, the split-sentence cheat sheet, and 4 practice exercises with an answer key — enter your email and it lands in your inbox instantly.
📖 What's Next:
Next up: A1 Lesson 15 — Dative Case & Personal Pronouns. You'll learn mir, dir, ihm, and the verbs like helfen and gefallen that need them.
Related Posts
→ A1 Lesson 13: Negation & Question Words
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