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German Verb Prefixes - Separable and Inseparable Prefixes

The document discusses German verb prefixes, dividing them into three categories: separable, inseparable, and dual prefixes. It focuses on inseparable prefixes, providing a chart that lists common inseparable prefixes, their meanings in English, and examples of German verbs that use each prefix. It explains that inseparable prefixes are unstressed and do not take the ge- prefix in perfect verb forms. The document also notes how prefixes can change a base verb's meaning and provides commentary on inseparable prefix verbs.

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José Marìa Llovet
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644 views3 pages

German Verb Prefixes - Separable and Inseparable Prefixes

The document discusses German verb prefixes, dividing them into three categories: separable, inseparable, and dual prefixes. It focuses on inseparable prefixes, providing a chart that lists common inseparable prefixes, their meanings in English, and examples of German verbs that use each prefix. It explains that inseparable prefixes are unstressed and do not take the ge- prefix in perfect verb forms. The document also notes how prefixes can change a base verb's meaning and provides commentary on inseparable prefix verbs.

Uploaded by

José Marìa Llovet
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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24/6/2016

GermanVerbPrefixesSeparableandInseparablePrefixes
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German Language

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GermanVerbPrefixes
SeparableandInseparableVerbPrefixes
VerbalprfixeVorsilbenbeiZeitwrtern
Thisverbprefixguide,withaprefixchart,ispartofLesson19ofouroffreeGermanforBeginnerscourse.TolearnmoreaboutGermanverbs,alsoseeour
GermanVerbssectionandtheVerbLexikon.

Part1:InseparablePrefixes
VerbPrefixes
TherearethreekindsofverbprefixesinGerman:(1)separable(trennbar),(2)inseparable(untrennbar),and(3)dualprefixes(usuallyapreposition)that
canbeboth.Separableprefixesarestressed(betont)intheirpronunciationinseparableprefixesareunstressed(unbetont).Inthisverbprefixchart,wehave
dividedtheprefixesintotheirthreecategories.
Byaddingvariousprefixestoabaseverb,Germancanproducenewmeanings:kommen>abkommen(digress),ankommen(arrive),bekommen(get),
entkommen(escape).(Englishdoesthesamething,usingGreekandLatinprefixes:form>deform,inform,perform,etc.)Knowingthebasicmeaningofa
verbprefixcanbehelpfulinlearningGermanvocabulary,butnotallprefixeshaveaspecificmeaning,nordoeseachprefixalwayshavethesamemeaning.For
instance,knowingthemeaningoftheprefixvermayormaynothelpyouunderstandthemeaningofverbslikeverschlafen(tooversleep)orversprechen
(topromise).Theprefixmeaningscanbeinterestingandhelpful,buttheyarenosubstituteforlearningvocabulary.
Ifyouarenotalreadyfamiliarwithhowseparableandinseparableverbsareusedinasentence,seeLesson19andourSampleSentencespageforexamples.
Alsoseeadditionalcommentsattheendofeachsectionoftheprefixchart.

VerbPrefixes:Inseparable>Separable>Dual>
Rechtschreibreform>SampleSentenceswithverbprefixes

InseparablePrefixes
UntrennbarePrfixe
Prefix
be

Meaning
likeEnglishbe
makesverbtakeadirectobject(acc.)

emp

sense,receive

ent

awayfrom

Examples
s.befinden(belocated)
befolgen(follow)
befreunden(befriend)
begegnen(meet)
bekommen(get)
bemerken(notice,remark)
empfangen(receive)
empfehlen(recommend)
empfinden(feel)

Englishde/dis

er

ge

entarten(degenerate)
entbehren(miss,dowithout)
entdecken(discover)
entfallen(elude,slip)
entfernen(remove,takeout)
entkalken(decalcify)
entkleiden(disrobe,undress)
entkommen(escape,getaway)
entlassen(discharge,release)
entstehen(originate,beformed/created)
entwerten(devalue,cancel)

fatal,dead

erhngen(hang,execute)
erschiessen(shootdead)
ertrinken(drown)

likeEnglishre

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

gebrauchen(use,makeuseof)
gedenken(commemorate,intend)
gefallen(like)
gehren(belongto)
gelangen(arriveat)
geloben(vow)
genesen(recover,recuperate)
gestalten(shape,form)
gestehen(confess)

http://german.about.com/library/verbs/blverb_pre01.htm

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24/6/2016

GermanVerbPrefixesSeparableandInseparablePrefixes

miss

Englishmis

gewhren(grant,give,offer)

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

ver

bad,awry

verachten(despise)

Englishmis

verbilden(miseducate)
verderben(gobad,spoil)
s.verfahren(goastray,getlost)
verkommen(gotoruin,becomerundown)
verschlafen(oversleep)

voll*

lose,away/out

verdrngen(driveout)
verduften(loseitsaroma)
verlassen(leave,abandon)
verlieren(lose)

Englishfor

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

???

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

full,complete

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

*NOTE:Someverbalexpressionswithvolltreatvollasanadverbratherthanaprefix,andarespelledwiththeadverbvollseparatedfromtheverb,evenin
theinfinitiveform.Examplesinclude:volldrhnen(dope/tankup),vollessen(gorgeoneself),vollmachen(fill[up]).
zer

collapse,shatter,shred

zerbrechen(shatter)
zerreissen(ripup,shred)
zerstren(destroy)

NOTE:Inseparableprefixverbsdonotaddthenormalpastparticipleprefixgeintheperfecttenses.Seetheexamplesbelow.
NEXT>SeparablePrefixes|DualPrefixes
Alsosee:VerbPrefixesandRechtschreibreform
Comments:InseparablePrefixVerbs
ThereareverbsinEnglishthatareconstructedandusedmuchlikeGermaninseparableprefixverbs:contend,extend,pretend,andintendareallbasedonthe
verb"tend."AsimilarexampleinGermanistheverbfinden(find).Byaddingvariousinseparableprefixes,Germanaltersthemeaningoffindentocreatenew
meanings:sichbefinden(belocated),empfinden(feel),orerfinden(invent).Asyoucansee,manycommonGermanverbsareinseparableprefixverbs.
Germanverbswithinseparableprefixesdonotaddthenormalpastparticipleprefixgeintheperfecttenses.Examples:bekommen(toget)hat/hatte
bekommenerwarten(toexpect,await)hat/hatteerwartetverstehen(tounderstand)hat/hatteverstanden.FormoreaboutGermanverbtenses,see
ourGermanVerbssection.
NEXT>SeparablePrefixes|DualPrefixes
MORE>SampleSentenceswithverbprefixes

RelatedPages
Lesson19
Anintroductiontoseparableprefixverbsandtheirconjugation.Includesabrieflookatinseparableprefixesaswell.PartofouronlineGermanforBeginners
course.
VerbPrefixesandRechtschreibreform
HowdothenewGermanspellingrulesaffectverbprefixes?
The10MeaningsoftheGermanVerb'ausmachen'
ThereareatleasttendifferentbasicmeaningsfortheGermanverbausmachen.ThislessonexamineseachmeaningandprovidesexamplesinGermanand
English.
VerbLexikon
AnalphabeticallistofcommonGermanverbs,manywithlinkstotheirconjugations.
GermanVerbs
AnindexofallofourGermanverbpages.
EnglishGermanGlossaries
Alloftheannotatedglossariesonthissitefromaerospacetotravel.
GermanGrammar
Allofthegrammarresourcesonthissite.

http://german.about.com/library/verbs/blverb_pre01.htm

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GermanVerbPrefixesSeparableandInseparablePrefixes
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