German Separable Verbs: The B1-B2 Guide to Trennbare Verben
Separable verbs are one of the defining features of German grammar. The prefix leaves the verb and jumps to the end of the sentence — and if you miss that, the sentence sounds completely wrong. This guide covers the rules, the most useful verbs, and the word-order traps that trip up B1-B2 learners.
What Are Separable Verbs?
German separable verbs (Trennbare Verben) are compound verbs made of a base verb and a separable prefix. Common prefixes: ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, los-, mit-, nach-, vor-, weg-, zu-, zurück-. In a main clause, the prefix detaches and moves to the very end of the sentence, while the conjugated verb stays in second position.
Example: anfangen (to start) → Ich fange morgen mit dem Kurs an. The prefix "an" sits at position final. This rule holds for all main clauses regardless of tense.
Separable vs. inseparable prefixes
Not all prefixes are separable. be-, er-, ge-, ver-, zer-, emp-, ent-, miss- are always inseparable — the verb stays together: "Er versteht das Problem." The stress test: separable verbs are stressed on the prefix (ANfangen), inseparable on the base (verSTEHen).
Word Order: The Core Rules
Main clause (present/past simple): prefix goes to end. Sie hört um 18 Uhr auf.
Subordinate clause: verb reunites — the whole verb goes to the end. Ich weiß, dass sie um 18 Uhr aufhört.
Infinitive with zu: zu is inserted between prefix and base. Ich versuche, früher anzufangen.
Perfect tense (Perfekt): ge- is inserted between prefix and base. Er hat um 9 Uhr angefangen.
30+ Essential Separable Verbs with Examples
Perfekt: The ge- Insertion Rule
In the Perfekt tense, separable verbs form their past participle by inserting ge- between the prefix and the base verb stem. This is a single word, not two.
- anfangen → angefangen — Ich habe um 9 Uhr angefangen.
- aufhören → aufgehört — Sie hat mit dem Kurs aufgehört.
- einladen → eingeladen — Wir haben alle Kollegen eingeladen.
- anrufen → angerufen — Er hat mich gestern angerufen.
- mitnehmen → mitgenommen — Hast du dein Handy mitgenommen?
- abholen → abgeholt — Ich habe sie vom Bahnhof abgeholt.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the prefix in front. Writing "Ich anfange morgen" instead of "Ich fange morgen an." The conjugated verb goes to position 2; the prefix to the end — always.
Wrong zu-infinitive. Writing "zu aufhören" instead of "aufzuhören." The zu goes inside the verb: Sie versucht, früher aufzuhören.
Forgetting the prefix in the Perfekt. Writing "Ich habe gerufen" instead of "Ich habe angerufen." Without the prefix, the meaning changes entirely (gerufen = shouted; angerufen = called by phone).
Confusing separable and inseparable verbs of the same root. über can go either way: übersetzen (inseparable = to translate) vs. übersetzen (separable = to cross over). Context and stress differentiate them in speech.
Study Tips
Learn separable verbs as full-sentence chunks rather than isolated infinitives. Seeing "anfangen" in a dictionary is less useful than internalising "Ich fange um 8 Uhr an." The sentence locks in word order automatically alongside the meaning.
- Group verbs by prefix — all an- verbs together, all auf- verbs together — to spot patterns faster.
- Drill the Perfekt form immediately when learning a new verb — don't leave it for later.
- Practice subordinate clauses: "Er sagt, dass er um 9 Uhr anfängt" — the verb reunites in the subordinate clause.
- Use spaced repetition so each verb's word-order pattern gets tested at the right interval. See the SRS guide for details.
Practice Separable Verbs with SRS
GermanChunks has a dedicated Trennbare Verben deck — fill-in-the-blank sentences, instant audio feedback, full spaced-repetition scheduling. Free to start.
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