German separable verbs, explained
A German separable verb has a stressed prefix, such as an-, auf-, ein- or mit-, that splits off in a main clause: the conjugated stem takes second place and the prefix goes to the end. "Ich rufe dich morgen an" comes from anrufen. The verb stays in one piece wherever it stands at the end of its clause: in a subordinate clause ("…, weil ich dich morgen anrufe"), after a modal ("Ich muss dich anrufen") and with zu ("anzurufen"). The participle puts ge in the middle: angerufen. Be-, ver-, er- and the other inseparable prefixes never split.
Updated 24 October 2026
Separable verbs in one table
Every row uses the same verb, anrufen (to phone). What changes is the kind of clause, and with it whether the prefix leaves.
| Where the verb is | What happens | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main clause, present or simple past | Stem in second place, prefix at the end | Ich rufe dich morgen an. | I’ll call you tomorrow. |
| Question or command | Prefix at the end | Rufst du mich morgen an? | Will you call me tomorrow? |
| Subordinate clause | One word, at the end | …, weil ich dich morgen anrufe. | …because I’m calling you tomorrow. |
| After a modal or werden | Infinitive, one word, at the end | Ich muss dich morgen anrufen. | I have to call you tomorrow. |
| Infinitive with zu | zu goes inside, one word | Ich versuche, dich morgen anzurufen. | I’ll try to call you tomorrow. |
| Perfect tense | ge goes inside the participle | Ich habe dich gestern angerufen. | I called you yesterday. |
| Inseparable prefix (be-, ver-, er-…) | Never splits, no ge | Ich habe dich verstanden. | I understood you. |
Main clauses: the prefix goes to the end
A separable verb is a verb plus a small word that can stand on its own: an, auf, aus, ein, mit, nach, vor, zu, zurück, weg, fern, los and a few dozen more. Together they make a new verb, often with a meaning you could not guess from the parts. Stehen is to stand; aufstehen is to get up. Kaufen is to buy; einkaufen is to do the shopping.
In a main clause German puts the conjugated verb in second place, and only the conjugated part can go there. So the verb splits: the stem, with its ending, takes position two, and the prefix drops to the very end of the clause, after objects, time phrases and everything else. The two halves form a bracket around the middle of the sentence, the same bracket an auxiliary and a participle make in the perfect.
.
I get up at seven.
Select a word to see why it is there.
aufParticle“up”
- Why this word
- Separable prefix of aufstehen
- The prefix of aufstehen, split off and moved to the end of the main clause. It is part of the verb, not a preposition: it has no noun after it, and without it the sentence would mean "I stand at seven".
- Dictionary
- auf · verb prefix — up; open (as a prefix)
In this sentence
- auf · Particle:
- The prefix of aufstehen, split off and moved to the end of the main clause. It is part of the verb, not a preposition: it has no noun after it, and without it the sentence would mean "I stand at seven".
- stehe · Verb:
- The conjugated half of aufstehen, in second place. On its own stehe means "I stand"; only the auf at the end turns it into "I get up".
The same happens in questions, in commands and in the simple past, because in all of them the conjugated verb is in first or second place. Notice that the prefix goes after the object and the time phrase, never straight after the stem.
- Kommst du heute Abend mit?Are you coming along this evening? (mitkommen)
- Mach bitte das Fenster zu!Close the window, please! (zumachen)
- Der Zug fährt um Viertel nach acht ab.The train leaves at a quarter past eight. (abfahren)
- Gestern kaufte sie für die ganze Woche ein.Yesterday she did the shopping for the whole week. (einkaufen, simple past)
These are the separable verbs you will meet first. The perfect column is there because some of them take sein.
| Verb | Meaning | Present, main clause | Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| anfangen | to begin | Der Kurs fängt um neun an. | hat angefangen |
| aufstehen | to get up | Er steht nie vor acht auf. | ist aufgestanden |
| einkaufen | to do the shopping | Wir kaufen samstags ein. | hat eingekauft |
| mitkommen | to come along | Kommt ihr auch mit? | ist mitgekommen |
| fernsehen | to watch TV | Sie sieht abends fern. | hat ferngesehen |
| zurückrufen | to call back | Ich rufe dich gleich zurück. | hat zurückgerufen |
| abholen | to pick up | Ich hole dich vom Bahnhof ab. | hat abgeholt |
When the verb stays in one piece
The prefix only leaves because the conjugated stem is pulled forward to second place. Whenever the verb stays at the end of its clause, nothing pulls it apart, and prefix and stem are written as one word again. That happens in three places.
The first is the subordinate clause. After weil, dass, wenn, ob, als and the other subordinating conjunctions, the conjugated verb goes to the end of the clause. Since the prefix was going to the end anyway, the two meet there and join up.
, .
I go to bed early because I get up at seven.
Select a word to see why it is there.
aufsteheVerb“get up”
- Why this word
- Present tense of aufstehen, first person singular
- In the weil clause the conjugated verb stands last, so the prefix has nowhere to move and auf and stehe are written as one word. "…, weil ich um sieben stehe auf" is wrong.
- Dictionary
- aufstehen · verb — to get up; to stand up
In this sentence
- aufstehe · Verb:
- In the weil clause the conjugated verb stands last, so the prefix has nowhere to move and auf and stehe are written as one word. "…, weil ich um sieben stehe auf" is wrong.
- weil · Subordinator:
- Weil opens a subordinate clause and sends its conjugated verb to the end. That is what keeps aufstehe in one piece.
The second is the infinitive after a modal verb (können, müssen, wollen, dürfen, sollen, mögen) or after werden in the future. The modal is the conjugated verb in second place; the separable verb stands at the end as a plain infinitive, in one piece.
The third is the infinitive with zu, after verbs such as versuchen, vergessen and hoffen, and after phrases like "Es ist schwer" or "Hast du Lust". With a separable verb, zu goes between the prefix and the stem, and the whole thing is written as one word: anzurufen, aufzustehen, mitzukommen. Um … zu works the same way: um früh aufzustehen.
- Sie sagt, dass der Kurs um neun anfängt.She says the course starts at nine. (subordinate clause)
- Wir wollen morgen früh einkaufen.We want to do the shopping tomorrow morning. (modal)
- Ich werde dich später zurückrufen.I’ll call you back later. (future with werden)
- Vergiss nicht, mich anzurufen!Don’t forget to call me! (zu inside)
- Hast du Lust mitzukommen?Do you feel like coming along? (zu inside)
The perfect tense: ge goes in the middle
A normal German past participle starts with ge-: machen becomes gemacht, kommen becomes gekommen. With a separable verb, the prefix stays at the front and ge- goes between the prefix and the stem: an-ge-fangen, ein-ge-kauft, auf-ge-standen. The participle is one word, and like every participle in a main clause it goes to the end, with haben or sein in second place.
.
The film has already started.
Select a word to see why it is there.
angefangenVerb“started”
- Why this word
- Past participle of anfangen
- An + ge + fangen: the ge sits after the separable prefix, not before it. "Geanfangen" does not exist. The participle stays one word and closes the clause.
- Dictionary
- anfangen · verb — to begin; to start
- Alternatives
- begonnen (from beginnen, which has no separable prefix)
In this sentence
- angefangen · Verb:
- An + ge + fangen: the ge sits after the separable prefix, not before it. "Geanfangen" does not exist. The participle stays one word and closes the clause.
- hat · Auxiliary:
- The conjugated auxiliary in second place. Anfangen forms its perfect with haben; aufstehen and mitkommen, verbs of movement or change of position, take sein.
The rule is mechanical once you know the participle of the base verb: take it and put the prefix in front. Fangen gives gefangen, so anfangen gives angefangen. Stehen gives gestanden, so aufstehen gives aufgestanden. Sehen gives gesehen, so fernsehen gives ferngesehen. Verbs ending in -ieren, which take no ge- at all, take none here either: ausprobieren gives ausprobiert.
- Ich bin heute um sechs aufgestanden.I got up at six today.
- Hast du schon eingekauft?Have you done the shopping yet?
- Sie hat mich nicht zurückgerufen.She didn’t call me back.
- Wir haben das neue Rezept ausprobiert.We tried out the new recipe.
Prefixes that never separate
Eight prefixes are never split off: be-, ge-, er-, ver-, zer-, ent-, emp- and miss-. None of them exists as a word on its own, which is a useful memory aid: there is no German word "ver" to leave at the end of a sentence. Verbs with these prefixes behave like any simple verb. They stay in one piece in second place, and their participle takes no ge- at all: verstehen gives verstanden, bekommen gives bekommen, erzählen gives erzählt.
Stress tells the two kinds apart when you hear them. A separable prefix carries the main stress of the verb: AN-rufen, AUF-stehen, EIN-kaufen. An inseparable prefix is unstressed and the stress falls on the stem: ver-STEH-en, be-KOM-men, er-ZÄH-len. Miss- is the one awkward case: it can carry stress, as in missverstehen, and still never splits.
.
I don’t understand the question.
Select a word to see why it is there.
versteheVerb“understand”
- Why this word
- Present tense of verstehen, first person singular
- Ver- is an inseparable prefix, so verstehe stays in one piece in second place. Nothing comes back at the end, and the perfect is "habe verstanden", with no ge.
- Dictionary
- verstehen · verb — to understand
In this sentence
- verstehe · Verb:
- Ver- is an inseparable prefix, so verstehe stays in one piece in second place. Nothing comes back at the end, and the perfect is "habe verstanden", with no ge.
- nicht · Particle:
- Nicht goes at the end here because it negates the whole statement. It is not a prefix: with a separable verb it would come just before the prefix, as in "Ich stehe nicht auf".
| Prefix | Example | Present | Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| be- | bekommen (to get, receive) | Ich bekomme morgen ein Paket. | hat bekommen |
| ge- | gefallen (to please) | Das Hotel gefällt mir. | hat gefallen |
| er- | erzählen (to tell) | Opa erzählt eine Geschichte. | hat erzählt |
| ver- | verpassen (to miss) | Ich verpasse immer den Bus. | hat verpasst |
| zer- | zerbrechen (to break into pieces) | Das Glas zerbricht. | ist zerbrochen |
| ent- | entscheiden (to decide) | Du entscheidest. | hat entschieden |
| emp- | empfehlen (to recommend) | Wir empfehlen den Fisch. | hat empfohlen |
| miss- | missverstehen (to misunderstand) | Du missverstehst mich. | hat missverstanden |
A verb can carry both kinds at once. In vorbereiten (to prepare), vor- separates and be- does not: "Ich bereite das Essen vor". Because be- blocks ge-, the participle is vorbereitet, with no ge anywhere.
Dual prefixes: same spelling, two verbs
A handful of prefixes can be either: über-, um-, durch-, unter- and wieder-, plus a few rarer ones such as wider-. With these, the infinitive alone does not tell you which verb you have, because umfahren is spelt the same both ways. Stress and meaning do. Stressed on the prefix, the verb is separable and the meaning is usually literal and physical. Stressed on the stem, it is inseparable and the meaning is often figurative, or "all the way round, through, over".
.
She knocks the sign down (with her car).
Select a word to see why it is there.
umParticle“down, over”
- Why this word
- Separable prefix of umfahren
- Because um has moved to the end, this can only be the separable verb: the sign ends up on the ground. Its participle would be umgefahren.
- Dictionary
- um · verb prefix — over, down (falling); round
In this sentence
- um · Particle:
- Because um has moved to the end, this can only be the separable verb: the sign ends up on the ground. Its participle would be umgefahren.
- fährt · Verb:
- The conjugated stem of separable umfahren in second place. Said aloud, the stress of the verb falls on the um at the end, not on fährt.
.
She drives round the sign.
Select a word to see why it is there.
umfährtVerb“drives round”
- Why this word
- Present tense of umfahren (inseparable), third person singular
- Here um stays on the verb in second place, so this is inseparable umfahren, stressed on fahr: she steers round the sign without touching it. Its participle is umfahren, with no ge.
- Dictionary
- umfahren · verb — to drive round, to bypass
- Alternatives
- weicht … aus (swerves to avoid)
In this sentence
- umfährt · Verb:
- Here um stays on the verb in second place, so this is inseparable umfahren, stressed on fahr: she steers round the sign without touching it. Its participle is umfahren, with no ge.
| Prefix | Separable (stress on the prefix) | Inseparable (stress on the stem) |
|---|---|---|
| um- | umfahren, to knock down: fährt … um, umgefahren | umfahren, to drive round: umfährt, umfahren |
| über- | übersetzen, to ferry across: setzt … über, übergesetzt | übersetzen, to translate: übersetzt, übersetzt |
| durch- | durchschauen, to look through: schaut … durch, durchgeschaut | durchschauen, to see through someone: durchschaut, durchschaut |
| unter- | unterhalten, to hold underneath: hält … unter, untergehalten | unterhalten, to entertain; sich unterhalten, to chat: unterhält, unterhalten |
| wieder- | wiederholen, to fetch back: holt … wieder, wiedergeholt | wiederholen, to repeat: wiederholt, wiederholt |
- Er übersetzt den Brief ins Deutsche.He translates the letter into German. (inseparable)
- Die Fähre setzt uns ans andere Ufer über.The ferry takes us across to the other bank. (separable)
- Wir unterhalten uns über den Film.We are talking about the film. (inseparable)
- Ich durchschaue deinen Plan.I can see through your plan. (inseparable)
In everyday speech the inseparable meanings are the common ones for übersetzen, unterhalten and wiederholen, so when in doubt with these three, keep the verb together.
Common mistakes
NotIch anrufe dich morgen.
ButIch rufe dich morgen an.
In a main clause only the conjugated stem takes second place. The prefix goes to the end of the clause, after the object and the time phrase.
NotIch weiß, dass er morgen kommt zurück.
ButIch weiß, dass er morgen zurückkommt.
After dass, weil, wenn and the other subordinating conjunctions the verb goes to the end, so prefix and stem meet and are written as one word.
NotIch muss morgen früh stehen auf.
ButIch muss morgen früh aufstehen.
After a modal, the separable verb is an infinitive at the end of the clause and stays whole. Only a conjugated verb in second place splits.
NotIch habe vergessen, zu einkaufen.
ButIch habe vergessen, einzukaufen.
With a separable verb, zu goes between the prefix and the stem, and the result is one word.
NotWir haben gestern geeinkauft.
ButWir haben gestern eingekauft.
In the participle of a separable verb, ge comes after the prefix: ein-ge-kauft.
NotIch habe dein Paket gebekommen.
ButIch habe dein Paket bekommen.
Be-, ver-, er- and the other inseparable prefixes block ge entirely. The participle of bekommen is bekommen.
Practise these with the tutorwith Pro
Check yourself
1 / 10
Which sentence says "I’ll pick you up at six" (abholen)?
Answer
Ich abhole dich um sechs.: This keeps the verb whole in second place. In a main clause abholen splits and ab goes to the end.
Ich hole dich um sechs ab. ✓: Main clause: the stem hole in second place, the prefix ab at the very end.
Ich hole ab dich um sechs.: The prefix has split off but stopped too early. It goes to the end of the clause, after the object and the time.
2 / 10
Complete the sentence with ankommen.
Sag mir bitte, wann der Zug ___.
Answer
ankommen: Right position, but this is the infinitive. Der Zug needs the third-person form ankommt.
ankommt ✓: Wann introduces an indirect question, a subordinate clause, so the verb goes to the end and stays one word.
kommt an: This is main-clause order. In an indirect question with wann the verb is at the end, and prefix and stem join up.
3 / 10
Complete the sentence with mitkommen.
Du kannst gern ___.
Answer
kommen mit: An infinitive after a modal never splits. Only a conjugated verb in second place sends its prefix to the end.
mitkommst: Kannst already carries the person ending. The second verb is a plain infinitive.
mitkommen ✓: After the modal kannst, the separable verb is an infinitive at the end and stays in one piece.
4 / 10
Complete the sentence with aufstehen.
Es ist nicht leicht, so früh ___.
Answer
zu aufstehen: Zu in front, as with a simple verb. A separable verb takes zu between prefix and stem, as one word.
aufstehen: The form is right but zu is missing. After "Es ist nicht leicht" German uses an infinitive with zu.
aufzustehen ✓: Es ist nicht leicht needs an infinitive with zu, and with a separable verb zu goes inside: auf-zu-stehen.
5 / 10
Complete the sentence with the participle of zumachen (to close).
Hast du das Fenster ___?
Answer
gezumacht: Ge has gone in front of the prefix. With a separable verb it goes between prefix and stem.
zugemacht ✓: Prefix, then ge, then the stem: zu-ge-macht.
zumacht: No ge at all, as if zu- were inseparable. Zumachen is separable, so its participle keeps ge.
6 / 10
Complete the sentence with the participle of bezahlen (to pay).
Ich habe die Rechnung schon ___.
Answer
begezahlt: This treats be- as separable, with ge after it. Be- never separates, so ge has nowhere to go.
bezahlt ✓: Be- is inseparable and blocks ge: bezahlen gives bezahlt.
gebezahlt: Inseparable prefixes never take ge in front. The participle is just bezahlt.
7 / 10
What does this sentence mean?
Sie übersetzt das Buch ins Englische.
Answer
She is ferrying the book across to England.: That is separable übersetzen, which would split in a main clause: "setzt … über".
She has translated the book into English.: Übersetzt is also the participle, but here it stands alone in second place, so it is the present. The perfect would be "hat … übersetzt".
She is translating the book into English. ✓: Über- has stayed on the verb in second place, so this is inseparable übersetzen, to translate.
8 / 10
Build the sentence.
“The shop closes at eight.”
Answer
Der Laden macht um acht zu
Der Laden macht um acht zu: in a main clause zumachen splits, stem second, prefix last.
9 / 10
Build the sentence with a dass clause.
“I think the film is about to start.”
Answer
Ich glaube, dass der Film gleich anfängt
Ich glaube, dass der Film gleich anfängt: in a subordinate clause the separable verb is not split.
10 / 10
Type the past participle of aufstehen (to get up).
Ich bin heute sehr spät ___.
Answer
aufgestanden
Auf + ge + standen, from stehen, gestanden. Aufstehen is a change of position, so its perfect takes sein: ich bin aufgestanden.
Separable verbs in Epsylo
When Epsylo breaks down a German sentence, a split-off prefix gets its own word card, coloured as a particle and explained as part of the verb it belongs to, so auf in a sentence with aufstehen reads as the end of aufstehen rather than as a preposition. In a subordinate clause the same verb appears as one word, which lets you watch the bracket open and close in your own sentences.
Questions
- How do I know whether a German verb is separable?
- Look at the prefix. If it is a word that exists on its own (an, auf, aus, ein, mit, nach, vor, zu, zurück, weg, fern) and carries the stress, the verb is separable. Be-, ge-, er-, ver-, zer-, ent-, emp- and miss- never separate. Many dictionaries mark the split point, for example an|rufen or an·rufen.
- Where does the prefix go in a question?
- At the end of the clause, as in a statement. In a yes/no question the stem moves to first place: "Rufst du mich morgen an?" In a question with a question word it is second: "Wann fängt das Konzert an?"
- Is fernsehen one word or two?
- One word in the infinitive and the participle (fernsehen, ferngesehen), and also at the end of a subordinate clause (…, weil ich fernsehe). In a main clause it splits like any separable verb: "Sie sieht jeden Abend fern."
- Are separable verbs the same as English phrasal verbs?
- They are close relatives: get up and aufstehen both join a verb and a small word into a new meaning. The difference is position. An English particle stays near the verb, while a German prefix goes to the end of the main clause, however long the clause is.
- What about verbs with two prefixes, like vorbereiten?
- The separable one splits and the inseparable one stays on the stem: "Ich bereite mich vor". An inseparable prefix anywhere in the verb blocks ge, so the participle is vorbereitet.
Try it on your own sentence
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