Separable Verbs in the Present Tense

I. Theory

In German, certain prefixes are added to verbs to add nuance to the original verb’s meaning or produce an entirely different meaning. These prefixes are typically prepositions and when the verb is conjugated, they separate from the verb stem and take a position later in the sentence.

Similar verbs are seen in English. They are called phrasal verbs:

To break up: The police broke the fight up.

To turn off: Before leaving, I turn the lights off.

To hand out: I handed the posters out.

German examples: zustimmen Ich stimme dir zu. I agree with you. einladen Ich lade sie zur Party ein. I invite her to the party. ankommen Wann kommt der Zug an? When does the train arrive?

II. Word Order

When the verb is in its infinitive form, the prefix remains attached. However, when using the verb in the present tense, the prefix is relocated to the end of the sentence:

Ich sehe abends fern. I watch TV in the evenings. but: Ich will morgen fernsehen. I want to watch TV tomorrow. Die Konferenz fängt heute an. The conference begins today. but: Die Konferenz wird morgen anfangen. The conference will begin tomorrow.

Below we see how all predicate information comes before the prefix. This includes information about when the action takes place, the manner in which it takes place, and where it takes place.

Ich stehe am Wochenende um 7:00 Uhr auf. I get up at 7:00 during the weekend. Rufst du deine Mutter dienstags nach der Arbeit an? Do you call your mother on Tuesdays after work?

III. Common Separable Prefixes

The following list contains common prefixes that always indicate a separable verb: an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, fort-, mit-, nach-, weiter-, zu-, and zurück-

Here are some common separable verbs: ankommen, aufhören, nachdenken, mitkommen, anrufen, vorbeikommen, einkaufen, zumachen.

IV. Inseparable Verbs

Not all verbs with prefixes are separable. There are certain prefixes that can never be separated from the verb.
This is true in English, as well. Some phrasal verbs are separable, and some are inseparable. For example: We can say "I turned on the music", or "I turned the music on" as turn on is a separable phrasal verb. However, while we can say "I listened to the music", we can't say "I listened the music to". This is because listen to is an inseparable phrasal verb.

Prefixes that never separate: zer-, ent-, ver-, be-, miss-, er-, ge-

Der Hund zerbricht den Tisch. The dog breaks the table. Wir gewinnen das Spiel. We are winning the game. Ich beschreibe die Stellung. I describe the position.