Separable Verbs in the Present Tense
Learn how common separable verbs form a verbal bracket in main clauses.
Explanation
Separable verbs
Many German verbs have a stressed prefix, such as **anrufen, aufstehen, einkaufen, mitkommen** and **fernsehen**.
In a main clause, the prefix moves to the end while the conjugated verb is in position 2:
- **Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf.** — I get up at seven.
- **Mia ruft ihre Mutter an.** — Mia calls her mother.
- **Wir kaufen am Samstag ein.** — We shop on Saturday.
- **Kommst du heute mit?** — Are you coming along today?
- **Er sieht abends fern.** — He watches television in the evening.
With a modal verb, the infinitive remains together at the end: **Ich muss morgen früh aufstehen.** Contrast the separated form **stehe ... auf** without a modal verb with the combined infinitive **aufstehen** after a modal verb.
Exercises
- Order the words. Put the prefix at the end. (11)
- Write a complete sentence with the separable verb. (11)
A1 · German · Grammar