German Grammar Explained /
Perfect of inseparable verbs
Many verbs in German have prefixes: anfangen, bekommen, aufhören, ...
Some of them are separable and some are not. Read the explanation below to know why this matters.
You can find out if a verb with a prefix is separable by paying attention to where the word is stressed.
stress on the prefix → SEPARABLE | stress on the second syllable → NOT SEPARABLE |
|---|---|
anfangen | verpassen |
aufhören | bekommen |
mitgehen | verlieren |
The stress in the prefix helps create a little break, which makes sense because these verbs separate! :) Whereas the prefixes that aren't stressed sound more "merged" with the other part of the verb.
Another difference is the way you build the participles.
SEPARABLE → -ge-
anfangen | → | er hat angefangen |
aufhören | → | sie hat aufgehört |
mitgehen | → | ich bin mitgegangen |
NON SEPARABLE → ge
verpassen | → | er hat verpasst |
bekommen | → | sie hat bekommen |
verlieren | → | ich habe verloren |
Separable Verbs Review
These verbs can be quite difficult because even if the concept isn't complicated, you will find yourself making the mistake of not separating them when you should. This is normal and it only takes a little practice to automatize this in your German-speaking brain.
Present tense: Ich fange morgen an.
Past tense: Ich habe gestern angefangen.
ZU-constructions: Ich habe keine Zeit, mit einem neuen Hobby anzufangen.