German Separable Verbs: How They Work and the 30 Most Important Ones
German separable verbs confuse every learner — the verb splits in main clauses, reunites in subordinate clauses. Here's how they work and which ones to learn first.
German separable verbs are compound verbs made of a prefix + base verb. In main clauses, the prefix splits off and goes to the end of the sentence. In subordinate clauses, the whole verb goes to the end. Once you understand the pattern, separable verbs stop being confusing and start feeling logical.
How separable verbs work in main clauses
Ich rufe dich an — I'll call you. 'Anrufen' (to call) splits: 'rufe' stays in position 2, 'an' goes to the end. Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf — I get up at 7. 'Aufstehen' splits: 'stehe' in position 2, 'auf' at the end. Ich sehe fern — I watch TV. 'Fernsehen' splits into 'sehe' and 'fern'. The infinitive form is one word. In main clauses, it splits.
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How separable verbs work in subordinate clauses
In subordinate clauses (after weil, dass, wenn, etc.), the verb goes to the end as a unit. Ich weiß, dass er mich anruft — I know that he'll call me. 'Anruft' stays together at the end. Weil ich um 7 aufstehe, bin ich müde — Because I get up at 7, I'm tired. 'Aufstehe' as one word at the end of the subordinate clause.
Common separable prefixes and their meanings
an- (toward, on): anrufen (call), ankommen (arrive), anfangen (begin). auf- (up, open): aufstehen (get up), aufmachen (open), aufhören (stop). aus- (out, off): ausgehen (go out), ausschalten (turn off), ausziehen (move out). ein- (in): einladen (invite), einkaufen (shop), einstellen (hire). mit- (with, along): mitkommen (come along), mitnehmen (take along). vor- (before, pre): vorbereiten (prepare), vorstellen (introduce). zurück- (back): zurückgehen (go back), zurückkommen (come back), zurückgeben (give back).
The 30 separable verbs to learn first
anrufen (call), ankommen (arrive), anfangen (start), aufstehen (get up), aufhören (stop), aufmachen (open), ausgehen (go out), einkaufen (shop), einladen (invite), einschlafen (fall asleep), fernsehen (watch TV), mitkommen (come along), mitnehmen (take along), nachdenken (think about), vorbereiten (prepare), vorstellen (introduce/imagine), weitermachen (continue), wiederholen (repeat), zumachen (close), zurückgehen (go back), zurückkommen (come back), abfahren (depart), abholen (pick up), absagen (cancel), abschalten (switch off), anziehen (put on/attract), ausziehen (take off/move out), einstellen (hire/set), vorhaben (plan to), zunehmen (gain weight/increase).
A note on inseparable verbs
Some German prefix verbs are inseparable — they never split. The inseparable prefixes are: be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, miss-, ver-, zer-. These take no 'ge-' in the past participle either. Verstehen (to understand) → Ich verstehe dich (not: Ich stehe dich ver). Vergessen (to forget) → Er hat es vergessen (not: Er hat es gevergessen). Knowing these prefixes tells you immediately whether a compound verb separates.