Learn German: Separable

Learning German can feel like assembling a puzzle where the pieces keep moving. One of the most confusing aspects for English speakers is the concept of separable verbs (trennbare Verben). These are verbs that split into two parts when conjugated in a main clause. The prefix breaks off and moves to the end of the sentence. While this may sound strange at first, it is actually a very logical system. Once you understand the pattern, you will find that separable verbs make German far more expressive and precise.

Think of separable verbs as a built-in cheat code for expanding your vocabulary. Instead of learning a completely new word for every action, you can attach a prefix to a base verb to change its meaning. For example, the verb kommen (to come) can become ankommen (to arrive), bekommen (to receive), or mitkommen (to come along). The prefix completely shifts the meaning. In this article, we will break down exactly how separable verbs work, how to use them in different sentence types, and how to avoid the most common beginner mistakes. We will focus on practical examples you can use right away.

By the end of this guide, you will not only understand the mechanics of separable verbs, but you will also feel confident using them in conversation and writing. We will cover present tense, past tense, modal verbs, and even subordinate clauses. Let us start with the foundation: recognizing a separable verb and knowing when to split it.

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What Are Separable Verbs?

A separable verb is a verb that consists of a base verb and a prefix. The prefix is a small word like ab, an, auf, aus, bei, ein, mit, nach, vor, weg, or zu. In the infinitive form, the prefix is attached to the front of the verb. For example:

aufmachen (to open)
anrufen (to call)
mitkommen (to come along)
weggehen (to go away)

When you conjugate these verbs in a main clause (a simple statement or question), you must remove the prefix and place it at the very end of the clause. The conjugated part of the verb stays in the second position (in statements) or the first position (in questions). The prefix does not change its form.

Example:

Infinitive: aufmachen (to open)
Conjugated (present): Ich mache die Tür auf. (I open the door.)

Notice how mache (the conjugated base) is in the second position, and auf (the prefix) is at the very end. This is the core rule.

Common Separable Prefixes and Their Meanings

Understanding the meaning of the prefix helps you guess the meaning of new verbs. Here is a simple table of the most common separable prefixes and their general idea:

Prefix	General Meaning	Example Verb	Meaning
ab-	away, off, down	abfahren	to depart (drive away)
an-	at, on, towards	anfangen	to start (to begin at)
auf-	up, open	aufstehen	to get up
aus-	out, off	ausgehen	to go out
ein-	in, into	einkaufen	to shop (buy in)
mit-	with, along	mitnehmen	to take along
nach-	after, again	nachdenken	to think about, reflect
vor-	before, forward	vorbereiten	to prepare
weg-	away	weggehen	to go away
zu-	to, closed	zumachen	to close (make shut)

Not every prefix is always separable. Some prefixes like be, ge, er, ver, zer, and ent are never separable. For example, bekommen (to receive) does not split. But the prefixes listed above are almost always separable, especially when they have a literal spatial meaning.

How to Use Separable Verbs in the Present Tense

In the present tense, the rule is simple: conjugate the base verb and send the prefix to the end. Let us see a full sentence example with the verb anrufen (to call).

Ich rufe meinen Freund an. (I call my friend.)
Du rufst deine Mutter an. (You call your mother.)
Er ruft den Arzt an. (He calls the doctor.)
Wir rufen die Polizei an. (We call the police.)
Ihr ruft eure Eltern an. (You all call your parents.)
Sie rufen den Kundendienst an. (They call customer service.)

The prefix an always moves to the end, regardless of the subject. This is the same for all separable verbs in main clauses.

Example with aufstehen (to get up)

Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. (I get up at 7 o’clock.)
Wann stehst du auf? (When do you get up?)

Example with ausgehen (to go out)

Wir gehen heute Abend aus. (We go out tonight.)
Geht ihr heute aus? (Are you all going out tonight?)

Separable Verbs in Questions and Commands

The same rule applies in questions. The conjugated verb goes to the first position, and the prefix stays at the end.

Machst du das Fenster auf? (Do you open the window?)
Kommst du mit? (Are you coming along?)
Fängt der Film um 8 Uhr an? (Does the film start at 8?)

For commands (imperative), you also split the verb. The prefix goes to the end, and the conjugated part takes the imperative form.

Mach die Tür zu! (Close the door!)
Ruf mich an! (Call me!)
Steh auf! (Get up!)

Notice that in the imperative, the prefix is still separated. This is a common mistake beginners make by saying “Aufmach die Tür” which is incorrect.

Using Separable Verbs with Modal Verbs

When you use a modal verb (like können, müssen, wollen, dürfen, sollen), the separable verb goes to the end of the clause in its infinitive form. In this case, the prefix does not separate. The entire infinitive verb stays together at the end.

Examples:

Ich muss morgen früh aufstehen. (I have to get up early tomorrow.)
Kannst du mich später anrufen? (Can you call me later?)
Wir wollen heute Abend ausgehen. (We want to go out tonight.)

Here, aufstehen, anrufen, and ausgehen remain whole because they are in the infinitive position at the end of the clause. This is a crucial difference: modal verbs prevent the split.

Separable Verbs in the Past Tense (Perfekt)

The perfect tense (Perfekt) is the most common past tense in spoken German. To form it with separable verbs, you need to know two things:

The past participle (Partizip II) of a separable verb is formed by adding ge between the prefix and the base verb.
The helping verb (haben or sein) is conjugated and stays in the second position. The participle goes to the end.

Formation rule: prefix + ge + base verb stem + t/en

Examples:

aufmachen → auf gemacht (opened)
anrufen → an gerufen (called)
einkaufen → ein gekauft (shopped)
mitkommen → mit gekommen (came along) — note: uses sein as helping verb

Full sentences in Perfekt:

Ich habe das Fenster aufgemacht. (I opened the window.)
Hast du deine Mutter angerufen? (Did you call your mother?)
Wir sind gestern mitgekommen. (We came along yesterday.)

Notice that in the perfect tense, the prefix is attached to the participle. The split only happens in the present tense and simple past (Präteritum). In the perfect tense, the whole participle (prefix + ge + verb) moves together to the end.

Separable Verbs in Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses (introduced by words like weil, dass, wenn, ob) have a different word order. The conjugated verb moves to the very end of the clause. For separable verbs, this means the prefix and the base verb are never separated in a subordinate clause. They are written as one word at the end.

Compare these sentences:

Main clause: Ich mache die Tür auf. (I open the door.)
Subordinate clause: …, weil ich die Tür aufmache. (… because I open the door.)

In the subordinate clause, aufmache is written as one word at the end. The prefix does not split off.

More examples:

Ich weiß, dass er um 8 Uhr aufsteht. (I know that he gets up at 8.)
Kannst du mir sagen, wann der Zug abfährt? (Can you tell me when the train departs?)
Wir bleiben zu Hause, weil es regnet. (We stay home because it is raining.) — Note: regnen is not separable here, but the rule applies to separable verbs.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even advanced learners sometimes struggle with separable verbs. Here are the most common errors and corrections:

Mistake: Ich aufmache die Tür. (Putting the prefix in the middle of the sentence.)
Correct: Ich mache die Tür auf.
Mistake: Ich habe aufgemacht das Fenster. (Incorrect word order in perfect tense.)
Correct: Ich habe das Fenster aufgemacht.
Mistake: Kannst du aufmachen das Fenster? (Using the infinitive incorrectly in a question.)
Correct: Kannst du das Fenster aufmachen? (The infinitive stays together at the end.)
Mistake: …, weil ich mache die Tür auf. (Splitting the verb in a subordinate clause.)
Correct: …, weil ich die Tür aufmache.

Practical Tips for Learning Separable Verbs

Mastering separable verbs requires practice, but here are some strategies that work well:

Learn verbs in pairs. Learn the base verb and its common separable versions together. For example: kommen (come), ankommen (arrive), mitkommen (come along), rauskommen (come out).
Say sentences out loud. Physically say the prefix at the end of the sentence. This trains your ear and your mouth to handle the split naturally.
Focus on high-frequency verbs. Start with verbs like anfangen, aufstehen, ausgehen, einkaufen, mitnehmen, vorbereiten, and zumachen. You will hear these constantly.
Use a color-coding system. Write the prefix in one color and the base verb in another. This visual aid helps you remember the split pattern.
Practice with modal verbs. Create sentences with modals to reinforce when the verb stays together.

Separable vs. Inseparable Prefixes

It is important to distinguish separable prefixes from inseparable ones. Inseparable prefixes (like be-, ge-, er-, ver-, zer-, ent-, miss-) never split. They also do not take the ge- prefix in the past participle.

Compare:

ankommen (separable) → angkommen (past participle)
bekommen (inseparable) → bekommen (past participle, no ge-)

How can you tell if a prefix is separable? A good rule of thumb is: if the prefix can stand alone as a preposition or an adverb (like auf, ab, aus), it is usually separable. If the prefix is not a standalone word (like ver or er), it is inseparable. There are exceptions, but this rule covers most cases.

Final Practice Sentences

Try to identify the separable verbs in these sentences and notice where the prefix goes:

Wir fangen morgen mit dem Kurs an.
Ich nehme meinen Laptop mit.
Er hört um 18 Uhr auf zu arbeiten.
Kauf bitte Brot ein!
Sie ist gestern um 9 Uhr abgefahren.
Ich muss mich auf die Prüfung vorbereiten.
Kannst du das Licht ausmachen?

Each of these follows the rules we have covered. Writing your own sentences based on these patterns is the best way to internalize the structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do all prefixes split in German?

No. Only certain prefixes are separable. The most common separable prefixes are ab, an, auf, aus, bei, ein, mit, nach, vor, weg, and zu. Prefixes like be, ge, ver, and er are inseparable and never split.

2. What happens to the prefix in a subordinate clause?

In subordinate clauses (introduced by weil, dass, wenn, etc.), the conjugated verb goes to the end of the clause and stays together with its prefix. For example: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich mich vorbereite (not weil ich bereite mich vor).

3. How do I know if a verb is separable or not?

Check if the prefix is a common preposition (like auf, aus, ein). If so, it is likely separable. Also, look at the past participle: separable verbs insert a ge between the prefix and the verb stem (e.g., aufgemacht), while inseparable verbs do not (e.g., bekommen). A good dictionary will always label the verb as “trennbar” (separable) or “untrennbar” (inseparable).