Separable and Inseparable Prefixes
Common separable prefixes. Remember that this list is only a rough guide to the meanings of prefixes, since their
use is highly idiomatic.
ab = off, down abholen = to pick up
abnehmen = to take off
an = at, on anfangen = to start, begin
anrufen = to call, telephone
anziehen = to put on, dress
auf = up aufhören = to stop
aufräumen = to clean up
aufstehen = to get up, stand up
aus = out ausgehen = to go out
aussehen = to look, appear
ein = in, into einkaufen = to shop
einschlafen = to fall asleep
fern = far fernsehen = to watch TV
fort = away fortgehen = to leave, go away
her = ‘hither’, to here herholen = to fetch
herkommen = to come from
hin = ‘thither’, to there hinstellen = to place, put
mit = with, along mitbringen = to bring along
mitkommen = to come along
mitnehmen = to take along
nach = after nachdenken = to think, reflect
nachfragen = to inquire, ask after
um = around, at umsehen = to look around
vor = before vorhaben = to have planned
vorstellen = to introduce
vorbei = by, past vorbeikommen = to come by
weg = away weggehen = to go away, leave
wegnehmen = to take away
zu = to, closed zuhören = to listen
zumachen = to close
zurück = back zurückgeben = to give back
zurückkommen = to come back
zusammen = together zusammenkommen = to come together
Some German verbs have recognizable prefixes that are INSEPARABLE, e.g. they remain with the verb at all times.
Das Feuer zerstört unser Haus. The fire is destroying our house.
Zerstör das Haus! Destroy the house!
Das Feuer kann unser Haus zerstören. The fire can destroy our house.
The meanings of these prefixes are much harder to explain, since they often perform a grammatical function but
do not have a direct English cognate. Nonetheless, here’s a short list of common INSEPARABLE prefixes and
example verbs.
be = makes a verb transitive beantworten = to answer (a question)
or turns action towards object besuchen = to visit
bekommen = to receive, get
ent, emp = beginning of action entgehen = to escape
or separation empfangen = to receive
er = stress on outcome erleben = to experience
or accomplishment erkennen = to recognize
ge = result, completeness or gewinnen = to win or gain
successful action gebrauchen = to use up, consume
miss = same as English ‘mis-’ missverstehen = to misunderstand
missbrauchen = to abuse
ver = action of the verb has verschlafen = to oversleep
miscarried (BUT NOT ALWAYS!) verlaufen = to go astray
zer = asunder, apart zerbrechen = to break into pieces
zerstören = to destroy
