Lesson 31 ª

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Verbs with prefix

Many German verbs are composed of a verb and a prefix. Some of these verbs are separable whilst others aren't.

Separable verbs

Separable verbs are composed of a verb and a prefix which has its own meaning. The prefixes are almost always prepositions but they can also be other types of words (we will see later, when we analyze word construction).

a) The construction of a participle

The present and past participles of separable verbs are constructed in the same way as all participles.

Infinitive: ankommen / Participle I: ankommend / Participle II: angekommen

Er hat mir nicht zugehört, sondern einfach mit der Arbeit weitergemacht.
He hasn't listened to me, on the contrary, he has continued with his work.

b) The position of separable verbs in a sentence

These types of verb occupy the normal position of the verb,S but the prefix goes at the end of the sentence.

Ich komme am Sonntag an.
I will arrive on Sunday.
Ich hörte dem Sänger zu.
He listened to the singer.

The prefix is only separated from the verb when the verb is conjugated. When the infintive or the prefix are used, the participle and verb go together.

Ich bin weggegangen.
I have left
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Wir sollten jetzt weitermachen.
We would have to continue now

Verbs with prefix which aren't separable

These prefixes do not have their own meaning. When you join the prefix with the verb, you change its meaning.

Prefixes that can go with separable and non separable verbs.

There are prefixes that can go with separable and non separable verbs. The most common ones are:

durch / über / um / unter / wieder / wider

When saying these verbs, the stress falls on the prefix when the verb is separable.

Ich komme morgen wieder.
Tomorrow I'm going to return
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Der Einbrecher überfällt eine Bank.
A criminal holds up a boat
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Die Mich kocht über.
The milk boils over when it starts to boil
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Ich wiederhole die Chemie-Formeln.
I repeat the chemistry formulas

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Exercises

Complete the following sentences

(Click on the box to see the answers; double click to return to the original position)