We have seen in the general description of word formation how certain inseparable prefixes can be combined with the verb "sprechen" to produce new words: "besprechen", "entsprechen", "widersprechen", "versprechen".
Characteristics of Verbs with Inseparable Prefixes
besprechen - to discuss |
Wir besprechen die Situation. We're discussing the situation. |
Wir besprachen die Situation. Wir haben die Situation besprochen. |
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It Happened in Broad Daylight (film title) [Note: the most recent spelling reform permits 3 l's: "helllichten"] |
geschehen (geschah, ist geschehen [geschieht]) to happen |
Es geschieht oft. It happens often. |
Es geschah am helllichten Tag. It happened in broad daylight. |
beantworten to answer (a question) |
Du hast hat die Frage richtig beantwortet. You answered the question correctly. |
erklären to explain |
Sie hat versucht, mir die Geschichte zu erklären. She tried to explain the story to me. |
The inseparable prefix "be-":
As in English (e.g. to belittle, besmirch, beknight, beget, bespeak, etc.), "be-" makes a verb directly transitive. Some examples (with just some of the usual meanings):
beachten - to pay attention to; to respect, heed |
Bitte beachten Sie die allgemeinen Hinweise. Please pay attention to the general instructions. |
beabsichtigen to intend |
Ich habe nicht beabsichtigt, dich zu beleidigen. I didn't intend to insult you. |
bearbeiten to work on; to rework |
Sie muss ihren Aufsatz weiter bearbeiten. She has to work further on her essay. |
Er hat die Geschichte für die Bühne bearbeitet. He reworked the story for the stage. |
beantworten to answer (a question) [= antworten auf] |
Der Politiker hat meine Frage nicht beantwortet. The politician didn't answer my question. |
bedecken to cover |
Jemand hat die Leiche mit einem Tuch bedeckt. Someone covered the corpse with a cloth. |
bedeuten to mean, to signify |
Was soll das bedeuten? What's that supposed to mean? |
bedrohen to threaten |
Sie hat mich mit einem Messer bedroht. She threatened me with a knife. |
beflecken to sully; to taint; to stain |
Der Skandal hat seinen guten Ruf befleckt. The scandal sullied his good reputation. |
Das Hemd war mit Blut befleckt. The shirt was stained with blood. |
befragen to query; to question (someone) |
Wir haben verschiedene Passanten befragt. We questioned various passers-by. |
befreien to free, liberate |
In seinem Testament hat Washington die Sklaven befreit, die ihm unmittelbar gehörten. In his will, Washington freed the slaves that belonged directly to him. |
begehen (beging, begangen) to commit (an act) |
Sie hat versucht, Selbstmord zu begehen. She tried to commit suicide. |
begreifen to comprehend |
Du hast den Hauptpunkt nicht begriffen. You didn't understand the main point. |
begrüßen to welcome; to greet |
Der Bürgermeister begrüßt diese Entwicklung. The mayor welcomes this development. |
beheizen to heat |
Wir haben die Hütte mit Holz beheizt. We heated the cabin with wood. |
beherrschen to control |
Beherrschen Sie sich! Control yourself! |
bejahen to affirm; to say yes to; to approve of |
Die Finanzmärkte bejahen den Plan. The financial markets approve of the plan. |
bekämpfen to fight against |
Diese Maßnahmen sollen die Arbeitslosigkeit bekämpfen. These measures are supposed to fight against unemployment. |
beschenken to give presents to |
Sie haben den Jungen zum Geburtstag reichlich beschenkt. They gave the boy lots of presents for his birthday. |
beschuldigen to accuse |
Sein Chef hat ihn beschuldigt, Geld gestohlen zu haben. His boss accused him of having stolen money. |
See canoonet, which lists 419 examples of verbs with "be-".
The inseparable prefix "emp-":
"emp-" is an old prefix now found only with a few verb stems beginning with "f-":
empfangen (empfing, empfangen [empfängt]) to receive; to conceive (a child) |
Das Publikum empfing sie mit Beifall. The audience received her with applause. |
empfehlen (empfahl, empfohlen [empfiehlt]) to recommend |
Der Kellner hat mir diesen Rotwein empfohlen The waiter recommended this red wine to me. |
The inseparable prefix "ent-":
"ent-" has several meanings:
1) To begin or enter into an activity:
entstehen (entstand, ist entstanden) to come into existence, originate, arise |
Das moderne Fußballspiel ist in England entstanden. The modern game of soccer began in England. |
entleeren to empty |
Zuerst müssen wir den Papierkorb entleeren. First we have to empty the waste basket. |
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Tattoo and Hair Removal. |
2) To separate or remove:
entfernen to remove |
Wir haben das ganze Möbel aus dem Haus entfernt. |
We removed all of the furniture from the house. |
entdecken to discover |
Columbus hat Amerika entdeckt. |
Columbus discovered America. |
entgehen (entging, ist entgangen0 to escape; to evade |
Ich lasse mir diese Gelegenheit nicht entgehen. |
I won't let this opportunity escape me. |
entkommen (entkam, ist entkommen) to escape from; elude |
Er ist seinen Verfolgern entkommen. |
He escaped from his persecutors. |
entreißen (entriss, entrissen) to snatch away from |
Sie hat es mir aus den Händen entrissen. |
She snatched it out of my hands. |
entsagen to renounce |
Der Mönch hat der Welt entsagt. |
The monk renounced the world. |
2a) This separation can also indicate a careful or systematic process:
entfalten to develop, unfold |
Ihr Potenzial muss sich frei entfalten können. |
Her potential must be able to develop freely. |
entwerfen (entwarf, entworfen [entwirft]) to design, to sketch out (literally: to throw apart) |
Der Architekt hat schon wieder ein unpraktisches Haus entworfen. |
The architect yet again designed an impractical house. |
entwickeln to develop; to unravel |
Mit einer digitalen Kamera muss man keine Fotos entwickeln. |
With a digital camera you don't need to develop any photos. |
3) To reverse a process or activity:
entehren to dishonor |
Ihre Familie wurde durch ihren Diebstahl entehrt. |
Her family was dishonored by her theft. |
entladen (entlud, entladen [entlädt]) to unload |
Mit einem Baukran können wir das Schiff viel schneller entladen. |
We can unload the ship much faster with a construction crane. |
The inseparable prefix "er-":
"er-" tends to indicate an action (usually transitive) that is complete, analogous to the English "up" (e.g. "to beat up"):
erforschen to fathom; to explore; to research |
Sie erforschte ihren Stammbaum. She researched her family tree. |
erraten (erriet, erraten [errät]) to guess (correctly); to guess (the answer) |
Du hast es erraten! You guessed it! You got it right! |
erreichen to reach; to get to |
Nach zehn Wochen hat das Schiff endlich Land erreicht. After ten weeks the ship reached land. |
erschießen (erschoss, erschossen) to shoot (to death) |
Ein Grenzwächter hat ihn erschossen. A border guard shot and killed him. |
erstechen (erstach, erstochen [ersticht]) to stab (to death) |
Sie hat ihn mit einem Küchenmesser erstochen. She stabbed him to death with a kitchen knife. |
ersterben (erstarb, ist erstorben [erstirbt]) to die; to die away [obsolete] |
Ich sterbe und sterbe und kann nicht ersterben (Goethe, Götz von Berlichingen) I'm dying and dying but cannot die. |
erzwingen (erzwang, erzwungen) to compel, to force |
Die Polizei hat sein Geständnis erzwungen. The police forced the confession from him. |
Other uses of "-er":
erfahren (erfuhr, erfahren [erfährt]) to find out, learn; to experience |
Sie hat einiges an neuen Informationen von der Website erfahren. She learned some new information from the website. |
erklären to explain |
Wir haben ihnen die Spielregeln erklärt. We explained the rules of the game to them. |
erleben to experience |
Du wirst dein blaues Wunder erleben. You're going to experience a nasty surprise. |
The inseparable prefix "ge-":
The meaning of "ge-" is no longer clear, but it shows up in many verbs, including some whose stem has faded from use:
gedeihen (gedieh, ist gediehen) to flourish; to prosper |
Unter deiner Obhut gedeihen meine Pflanzen. My plants have been flourishing under your care. |
gefallen (gefiel, gefallen [gefällt]) to please |
Der neue Wagen gefällt mir. I like the new car. |
gehorchen to obey |
Sie müssen dem Bischof gehorchen. You have to obey the bishop. |
gehören to belong to |
Alles, was du siehst, gehört mir. Everything that you see belongs to me. |
gelingen (gelang, gelungen) to succeed |
Endlich ist mir der Versuch gelungen. Finally I succeeded in the attempt. |
genesen (genas, genesen) to recover; to recuperate |
Zuerst muss ich von dieser Krankheit genesen. First I have to recover from this illness. |
geraten (geriet, geraten [gerät]) "to get" (into) |
Wir sind in Schwierigkeiten geraten. We've gotten into difficulties. |
Das Kind gerät außer Kontrolle. The child is getting out of control. |
Der Fahrer geriet in Panik. The driver got into a panic. |
geschehen (geschah, ist geschehen [geschieht]) to happen |
Etwas Furchtbares ist geschehen. Something terrible has happened. |
gewinnen (gewann, gewonnen) to win; to gain |
Seine Mannschaft gewann das Spiel. His team won the game. |
Wir haben an Erfahrung gewonnen. We gained in experience. |
sich gewöhnen an to get used to |
Du wirst dich an seinen Hund gewöhnen müssen. You'll have to get used to his dog. |
The inseparable prefix "hinter-":
"hinter-" means "behind," but it can also indicate some sort of subterfuge:
hinterbringen (hinterbrachte, hinterbracht) to inform confidentially |
Ich versuchte, es ihm zu hinterbringen. I tried to tell him in secret. |
hintergehen (hinterging, hintergangen) to deceive |
Er hat die Steuerbehörder jahrelang hintergangen. He cheated the tax authorities for years. |
hinterlassen (hinterließ, hinterlassen [hinterlässt]) to bequeath; to leave behind |
Sie hat ihren Kindern nichts als Schulden hinterlassen. Sie left her children nothing but debts. |
The inseparable prefix "miss-":
"miss-" indicates going wrong:
missbrauchen to misuse; to abuse |
Du hast das Vertrauen der Kinder missbraucht. You abused the children's trust. |
misslingen (misslang, misslungen) to fail (at), be unsuccessful (in) |
Alles, was ich versuche, misslingt mir. Everything that I attempt fails. |
missverstehen (missverstand, missverstanden) to misunderstand |
Sie hat meine gutgemeinte Geste total missverstanden. She totally misunderstood my well-intended gesture. |
The inseparable prefix "wider-":
"wider-" conveys the sense of "against" or "back":
widerlegen to refute; to disprove |
Ich kann alle deine Argumente leicht widerlegen. I can easily refute all your arguments. |
widerrufen (widerrief, widerrufen) to recant; to retract |
Galileo wurde gezwungen, seine Lehre zu widerrufen. Galileo was forced to recant his teachings. |
widerstehen (widerstand, widerstanden) to resist; to withstand |
Keine Frau kann meinem Charme widerstehen. No woman can resist my charm. |
The inseparable prefix "ver-":
"ver-" has a great many meanings, some of which go back to earlier, Gothic forms. It is probably easiest just to note some of the variety - and it is clearly impossible to list all or even most of the possibilities.
In some cases, the meaning of "ver-" is not obvious: "verletzen" to injure. Or, when it has the function of "making things worse" (see the next example), the original verb is not as well known: "verstauchen" to sprain:
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Knee sprained? Have you recently injured your knee? For an out-patient drug study we are looking for patients who have sprained their knee in athletic or other activities. | |
"ver-" can make things worse: "hungern" (to be hungry; to fast) - "verhungern" (to starve to death); "komplizieren" (to complicate) -"verkomplizieren" (to thoroughly complicate); "zweifeln" (to doubt) - verzweifeln (to despair).
versalzen to oversalt |
Der Koch hat die Suppe versalzt. The cook put too much salt in the soup. |
verdrehen to distort; to skew |
Deine Version verdreht die Wahrheit. Your version distorts the truth. |
"ver-" can reverse a process: "kaufen" (to buy) - "verkaufen" (to sell); "mieten" (to rent, to pay rent for) - "vermieten" (to let, to rent out)
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To rent! 4-room duplex loft apartment
in Berlin-Schmargendorf / near Roseneck - quiet location - balcony - self-contained central gas heating |
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"sich ver-" can mean to do something the wrong way:
Ich habe mich verschluckt. I swallowed (something) the wrong way. |
Du hast dich wohl verrechnet. You probably miscalculated (made an error in computation). |
sich verlaufen (verlief, verlaufen [verläuft]) to get lost (walking) |
Die Kinder verliefen sich im Wald. The children got lost in the woods. |
sich verfahren (verfuhr, verfahren [verfährt]) to get lost (driving) |
In Boston verfährt man sich leicht. It's easy to get lost driving in Boston. |
But: Ich habe mich in Ihre Tochter verliebt. I've fallen in love with your daughter.
"ver-" plus a comparative adjective indicates bringing about that change:
verbessern to improve; to correct |
Du hättest diesen Aufsatz verbessern sollen. You should have improved this essay. |
Du kannst mein Deutsch ruhig verbessern. Feel free to correct my German. |
verlängern to extend |
Können wir die Frist verlängern? Can we extend the deadline? |
But the adjective does not always have to be in the comparative form:
verarmen to become impoverished |
Die ganze Gegend war völlig verarmt. The whole territory had fallen into poverty. |
verdeutschen to translate into Germen |
Die Firma hat ihr Motto verdeutscht. The company translated its motto into German. |
vereinfachen to simplify |
Man soll diese Anweisungen vereinfachen. They ought to make these instructions simpler. |
vergöttern to deify; to adore; to idolize |
Er vergöttert seine Frau. He idolizes his wife. |
verhüllen to cloak |
Siegfried verhüllte sich mit einer Tarnkappe. Siegfried covered himself with an cloak of invisibility. |
"ver-", when added to a noun, can create a verb that indicates using the noun to carry out a process: verkorken (to cork [a bottle]); vergiften (to poison); vergolden (to gild); vertonen (to set to music).
Like "be-", "ver-" can make an intransitive verb transitive: verfluchen (to curse); verlachen (to deride); verspotten (to mock).
Like "er-", "ver-" can suggest that a process is carried out beyond a particular point or to its conclusion:
verbleiben (verblieb, verblieben) to stay or remain (permanently or after some other change) |
Danach ist uns nur wenig Zeit verblieben. After that, only a little time remained to us. |
Es verbleiben noch viele Probleme. Many problems still remain. |
verbüßen to serve out (a punishment) |
Er wird eine hohe Strafe verbüßen müssen. He'll have to serve a long sentence. |
verhelfen (verhalf, verholfen [verhilft]) to aid; to help to accomplish |
Wir haben ihm zur Flucht verholfen. We helped him to flee. |
verlesen (verlas, verlesen [verlässt]) to read out |
Die Polizei muss ihm seine Rechte verlesen. The police have to read him his rights. |
versenken to sink (something) completely, irrevocably [as opposed to "senken" (to lower)] |
Das U-Boot hat mehrere Schiffe versenkt. The submarine sank several ships. |
In many cases, adding "ver-" produces a subtle distinction in meaning, one that has sometimes been forgotten by contemporary speakers. See R. B. Farrell's Dictionary of German Synonyms (Cambridge UP) for discussions of, e.g.: ändern / verändern; ärgern / verärgern; bessern / verbessern; fallen / verfallen; sperren / versperren; wundern / verwundern
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Either we change ourselves, or the climate will change itself even faster.
Elke Roßkamp / German Weather Service |
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The inseparable prefix "zer-":
"zer-" dennotes a breaking into pieces:
zerbrechen (zerbrach, zerbrochen [zerbricht]) to break into pieces; to shatter |
Die Flasche fiel vom Tisch und zerbrach. The bottle fell from the table and shattered. |
zerfließen (zerfloss, zerflossen) to dissolve; to melt away |
Sie ist in Tränen zerflossen. She dissolved into tears. |
zerreißen (zerriss, zerissen) to tear up |
Er hat den Vertrag zerrissen. He tore up the contract. |
zerschlagen (zerschlug, zerschlagen [zerschlägt]) to smash to pieces |
Du hast alle meine Hoffnungen zerschlagen. You have smashed all my hopes. |
zerstören to destroy |
In jeder deutschen Theateraufführung regnet es auf der Bühne und zerstört wenigstens ein Schauspieler die Möbel. In every German theater performance it rains onstage, and at least one actor destroys the furniture. |
Using the Prefix "ge-" to Create Collective Nouns:
Some examples of collective nouns (Kollektiva), using the suffixe "ge-". Almost all are neuter; in addition to the "Ge-", they often umlaut the stem vowel. Most use a singular form to indicate a set of multiple objects, but some use singular and plural forms ("-e") to indicate one or more objects, or one or more sets. Note that some of these nouns are derived from verbs, others from other nouns:
Singular | Plural | Meaning |
das Gebilde | die Gebilde | formation; structure |
das Gebiss | die Gebisse | set of teeth; denture |
das Gebüsch | die Gebüsche | shrubbery; copse |
das Gefecht | die Gefechte | combat; battle |
das Gefieder | plumage | |
das Geflügel | poultry | |
das Gehölz | die Gehölze | grove; woods |
das Gehör | sense of hearing | |
das Gelände | terrain; tract of land; grounds |
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Parking bicycles on the grounds of the state library is not allowed. Unlawfully parked bicycles will be removed. | |
das Gemälde | die Gemälde | painting |
das Gepäck | luggage | |
das Geplauder | chat; small-talk | |
das Geräusch | die Geräusche | noise; sound |
das Gerede | chit-chat; gossip | |
das Gerippe | die Gerippe | skeleton |
der [!] Geruch | die Gerüche | smell |
der [!] Gesang | die Gesänge | song, singing |
das Geschenk | die Geschenke | gift |
das Geschirr | crockery; dinnerware | |
das Gespräch | die Gespräche | conversation |
das Gestein | die Gesteine | rocks; stone |
das Getränk | die Getränke | beverage |
das Gewächs | die Gewächse | excrescence; plant; tumor |
das Gewitter | die Gewitter | thunder-storm |
The Prefix "un-" with Adjectives, Adverbs, and Nouns:
- "unbedeutend" (insignificant); "ungefährlich" (not dangerous); "ungleich" (unequal); "uninteressant" (uninteresting); "unmenschlich" (inhuman); "unschuldig" (not guilty; innocent); "unvollständig" (incomplete); "unwichtig" (unimportant); "unzufrieden" (dissatisfied).
- "der Unbehagen" (uncomfortable feeling); "der Undank" (ingratitude); "die Unrast" (agitation; restlessness); "das Unrecht" (injustice); "der Unsinn" (nonsense); "die Untiefe" (shallow; shoal); "der Unverstand" (lack of judgment).
- "der Unfall" (accident; mishap); "das Ungeziefer" (bugs; vermin); "das Unkraut" (weeds); "die Unmenge" (vast quantity); "der Unmensch" (brute; fiend); "der Unmut (foul humor; resentment); "die Unsumme" (enormous amount); "die Untat" (atrocity); "die Untiefen" (fathomless depths); "das Unwetter" (bad, stormy weather); "die Unzahl" (a large number; a countless number)
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Just as in English, the prefx "un-" can be used to reverse the meaning of an adjective or adverb, denoting the lack of the indicated quality:
With some nouns, "Un-" brings about a similar reversal:
But "Un-" can also denote either a perversion or an intensification of the quality signified by the base noun:
Prefixes that Are Either Separable or Inseparable
There are several prefixes that are sometimes separable and sometimes inseparable: "durch-", "über-", "um-", "unter-", "voll-", "wieder-". While not always predictable, it is generally true that when these prefixes are inseparable, their meaning is more likely - but only more likely - to be both transitive and figurative (As a comparison, note the distinction in English between "stepping over the line" and "overstepping the line.").
Take for example "übersetzen," which as a separable verb means to ferry across (to set across), but as an inseparable verb means to translate:
Charons Aufgabe ist es, die toten Seelen überzusetzen. |
Charon's task is to ferry the dead souls across. |
Viele Menschen haben versucht, Goethes "Faust" zu übersetzen. |
Many people have tried to translate Goethe's Faust. |
Remember that in pronunciation, the separable prefix is stressed: "ÜBERsetzen". When the prefix is inseparable, it is not stressed: "überSETZen."
- "durch-" means "through:"
"über-" is most often inseparable, meaning either "over," "past," "too much," or "fail to." When a separable prefix, it means "over" or "across":Wir sind durch die Eisschicht durchgebrochen. We broke through the layer of ice.
Das Flugzeug hat die Schallmauer durchbrochen.The plane broke through the sound barrier
Die Nachricht ist uns zu spät durchgedrungen.The news reached us too late.
Die Sonne hat den Nebel endlich durchdrungen.The sun has finally made its way through the mist.
Der Zug fährt hier durch.The train passes through here.
Wir haben das Land nur durchfahren.We only drove through the country.
Weil die Ausstellung uninterssant war, bin ich nur schnell durchgelaufen.Because the exhibit was uninteresting, I just ran through quickly.
Er hat alle Abteilungen durchlaufen.He worked his way through all of the departments.
Sie hat ihm die Kehle durchgeschnitten.She slit his throat.
Das Boot durchschneidet die Wellen.The boat cuts through the waves. Ein Betrunkener hat meinen Hund überfahren. A drunk ran over my dog.
Die Fähre hat ihn und seinen Wagen übergefahren.The ferry conveyed him and his car.
Die Armee hat die Stadt überfallen.The army descended on the city.
Viele Menschen kennen den mittleren Westen nicht und überfliegen ihn nur.Many people don't know the Midwest and just fly over it.
Meine Dankbarkeit fließt über.My gratitude is overflowing.
Ein Streifenwagen hat ihn ins Krankenhaus übergeführt.A squad car took him to the hospital.
Das Feuer griff auf das Nachbarhaus über.The fire lept over to the neighboring house.
Sie hat meine Antwort überhört.She failed to hear my answer.
Er übergab der Universität seine ganze Büchersammlung.He gave over his whole book collection to the university.
Nach so viel Wein musste ich mich übergeben.After all that wine I had to throw up.
Wir wurden von einem schnelleren Wagen überholt.We were passed by a faster car.
Das Boot kippte über.The boat tipped over.
Weniger Flieger haben den Krieg überlebt.Few pilots survived the war.
Du kannst bei mir übernachten.You can spend the night at my place.
Dein Freund ist so schüchtern, dass er leicht zu übersehen ist.Your friend is so shy that he's easy to overlook.
Wie immer übertreibst du.As always, you exaggerate.
Der plötzliche Übergriff hat uns überwältigt.The sudden assault overwhelmed us. "um-" is more often separable. It denotes change, as well as meaning "around," "down," and "over."
Wir bauen um. We're remodeling.
Denken wir alles wieder um.Let's rethink everything.
Bei dem Verkehr möchte ich München lieber umfahren.With this traffic I'd rather make a detour around Munich.
Sie hofft, dieses Problem zu umgehen.She hopes to avoid this problem.
Du gehst sehr sanft mir um.You're treating me very gently.
Dieser Film wirft dich einfach um.This movie will just bowl you over.
Other examples:
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The playing of children in the underground garage or near the entrance/exit is strictly forbidden. |
"unter-" is almost always inseparable. It has a number of meanings, including "below," "beneath," or "down," but it can also convey omission or that something is forbidden.
Die Frau behauptet, ihr Mann unterbricht sie dauernd. |
The woman claims her husband continually interrupts her. |
Daran geht die Welt nicht unter. |
The world won't go under because of that. |
Jeden Abend geht er in die Kneipe und unterhält sich mit seinen Freunden. |
Every evening he goes to the bar and talks with his friends. |
Ich unterschreibe jede Petition. |
I'll sign any petition. |
Wir haben uns in einer Scheune untergestellt. |
We took shelter in a barn. |
Unterlassen Sie das Umhergehen. |
Refrain from walking around. |
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Church Service. We ask that you refrain from walking around and viewing [the church] |
Man unterstellt mir eine böse Absicht. |
They're insinuating that I have bad intentions. |
Die Polizei untersucht den Fall gerade. |
The police are just now investigating the case. |
Er ist untergetaucht. |
He went into hiding. |
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Helene Jacobs, the resistance fighter against National Socialism, lived in this house from 1935 until her death. She concealed Jews in her apartment who had gone into hiding and helped them to flee. She was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison by the Nazi judicial system. [Note the use here of "ver-," as well as "untergetaucht"] |
- "das Aufgeben" (giving up; handing in); "das Wiedersehen" (reunion).
- "der/die Angestellte" (employee); "der/die Auserw�hlte" (the chosen one); "der/die Erwachsene"" (grown-up.
- "die Fehlanzeige" (indication error); "die Hingabe" (devotion; abandonment); "die Zunahme" (increase; gain).
- "die Auswahl" (selection); "die Einfuhr" (import); "die Heimkehr" (return home); "die Türklingel" (doorbell); "die Umschau" (survey).
- "das Versteck" (hiding place); "das Vorspiel" (prelude).
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"die Ausfahrt" (exit); "die Zusammenkunft " (meeting; gathering).
But also: "der [!] Verdienst" (remuneration; merit). - "anschaulich" (colorful; graphic; vivid) "bespielbar" (playable); "bestechlich" (bribable; corruptible); "enthaltsam" (abstemious); "erholsam" (restorative); "feinfühlig" (sensitive; of delicate feeling); "nebensächlich" (secondary; negligible); "unglaublich" (unbelievable); "verdaulich" (digestible); "unentbehrlich" (indispensable); "unerklärlich" (inexplicable); "unnachahmlich" (inimitable); "unzertrennlich" (inseparable); "unaufhaltsam" (inexorable); "verantwortungslos" (irresponsible); "vertrauenswürdig" (trustworthy).
"voll-" usually denotes "full" or "complete."
Der starke Glaube vollbringt Wunder. |
A strong faith achieves miracles. |
Sie hat ihr erstes Lebensjahr vollendet. |
She has completed her first year of life. |
Wie haben die Gießkanne vollgegefüllt. |
We filled the watering can. |
Man soll eine Zecke entfernen, bevor sie sich vollsaugt. |
You should get rid of a tick before it drinks its fill. |
Wir haben im Dorf vollgetankt. |
We filled the tank in the village. |
"wieder-" is separable, with one exception (You can find separable samples here.):
Das Kind wiederholt alles, was du sagst. |
The child repeats everything you say. |
Nouns Derived from Verbs with Separable or Inseparable Prefixes:
Like any other verbs, those with separable or inseparable prefixes can become other parts of speech. Nouns with these prefixes are formed as one would imagine:
1. By converting the infinitive into a neuter noun, which is equivalent to an English gerund and indicates the act that the verb denotes. It has no plural form.
2. By converting adjectives that have been derived from these verbs into adjectival nouns ).
3. By adding an "-er" or an "-erin" to the stem to indicate a male or female who performs the action: "der Vorarbeiter / die Vorarbeiterin" (foreman / forewoman). In certain cases, the "-er" can also indicate an instrument: "der Fernseher" (television). The plural of these "-er" nouns is the same as the singular: "die Vorarbeiter", "die Fernseher", etc. The plural of the feminine form is of course "-erinnen": "die Vorarbeiterinnen."
4. By adding an "-e" to the present or preterite form to create a feminine noun. The plural adds an "-n". Here is more on the suffix "-e" ).
5. By making a noun (without suffix) from the verb (i.e. prefix + stem), often from an old form of the preterite. Most of these nouns are masculine. Those derived from a strong verbs usually add an umlaut. Here is more on this phenomenon).
Verb | Noun | Plural | Meaning |
angreifen | der Angriff | die Angriffe | attack |
anziehen | der Anzug | die Anzüge | suit |
aufbauen | der Aufbau | die Aufbauten | buildup; construction |
aufschwingen | der Aufschwung | die Aufschwünge | [economic] recovery |
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Your economic recovery starts with a conversation.
You'll learn in a consultation at the Deutsche Bank how you can personally profit from the economic recovery in Germany. |
|
ausbrechen | der Ausbruch | die Ausbrüche | outbreak |
beweisen | der Beweis | die Beweise | proof |
durchbrechen | der Durchbruch | die Durchbrüche | break-through |
fehlschlagen | der Fehlschlag | die Fehlschläge | failure |
überhängen | der Überhang | die Überhänge | overhang; backlog |
umbrechen | der Umbruch | die Umbrüche | upheaval |
umsetzen | der Umsatz | die Umsätze | total revenue; total sales |
umtauschen | der Umtausch | die Umtausche | exchange |
A similar pattern can produce feminine nouns:
As well as a few neuter ones:
And here are some that are feminine and add "-t" or "-st":
6. Adding the Suffix "-ung":
The suffix "-ung" is frequently used to create a noun (always feminine) by attaching it to a verb stem. The effect is similar to the English gerund created with "-ing" or the noun formed with the suffix "-tion". The resulting noun can dennote an activity, an instance of that activity, a state of being or a thing that is brought about by that activity, or an entity within which that activity takes place Here is more on the use of "-ung").
Verb | Noun | Meaning |
abtreiben | die Abtreibung | abortion |
aufregen | die Aufregung | excitement |
herausfordern | die Herausforderung | challenge |
hinzufügen | die Hinzufügung | addition |
hochrechnen | die Hochrechnung | extrapolation; projected forecast |
nachahmen | die Nachahmung | imitation |
niederlassen | die Niederlassung | branch office; place of business |
weiterentwickeln | die Weiterentwicklung | further development |
7. In many cases, the verb from which the noun is derived is rarely used. Here are some examples with the prefix "fehl-" (but note "der Fehlschlag" above):
die Fehlgeburt | miscarriage |
der Fehlgriff | mistake; wrong choice |
die Fehlinformation | piece of wrong information |
die Fehlinterpretation | false interpretation |
die Fehlinvestition | bad investment |
die Fehlkonstruktion | badly-designed construction |
der Fehlpass | bad pass (in sports) |
die Fehlplanung | bad planning |
der Fehlstart | false start (in track) |
der Fehltritt | false step |
das Fehlurteil | wrong verdict or judgement |
die Fehlzündung | misfire |
Like any other verbs, those with separable or inseparable prefixes can become adjectives or adverbs. First of all, their participial forms function like any other.
A few examples of adjectives or adverbs formed from present participles (with separable or inseparable prefixes):
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We've moved! You can reach us now at Budapester Straße 35, 10787 Berlin. We have extended opening hours for you there: Monday through Thursday from 9 - 6, Friday 9 - 1 |
"andauern" (to last; to continue): Frag doch nicht andauernd! Don't keep constantly asking! |
"alleinerziehen" (to raise [a child] alone): eine alleinerziehende Mutter a single mother |
"entgegenkommen" (to accommodate): Sie waren sehr entgegenkommend. You were very accommodating. |
"beiliegen" (to be enclosed [along with]): der beiliegende Brief the enclosed letter |
Examples of adjectives or adverbs formed from past participles (with separable or inseparable prefixes):
"aufschließen" (to unlock; to open up): eine aufgeschlossene Politikerin an open-minded politician |
"erweitern" (to extend): erweiterte Öffnungszeiten extended opening hours |
"hochkrempeln" (to roll up [a sleeve]): hochgekrempelte Ärmel rolled-up sleeves |
"voraussehen" (to foresee): Es gab unvorausgesehene Konsequenzen There were unforeseen consequences. |
"vollenden" (to complete): ein vollendetes Manuskript a completed manuscript |
"zusteigen" (to board [after the trip started]): zugestiegene Fahrgäste passengers who have just boarded |
Adjectives or adverbs are also often constructed with a suffix. Here is some general information about that process.
Some examples:
Return to the general description of word formation
Return to Grammar Review.