FormVerb mit untrennbarem Präfix (Position 2 oder Ende)
Meaning and usage
Some German verbs begin with a prefix that never separates from the verb. The prefixes be-, ver-, er-, ent-, emp-, ge-, miss- and zer- always stay attached. For example, bezahlen and verstehen keep their prefix in every sentence. The prefix is never stressed; the stress falls on the verb stem.
These verbs behave like normal verbs. In a main clause, the whole verb goes in position 2. In the perfect tense, the participle also keeps the prefix, as in bezahlt or verstanden. Do not treat the prefix as a separable part and move it to the end. That is the mistake to avoid.
Examples 6
Ich bezahle Sie am Ende des Monats.
I'll pay you at the end of the month.
Manchmal kann ich Sie einfach nicht verstehen.
I just can't understand you sometimes.
Die Arbeit beginnt nicht immer um neun.
Work doesn't always begin at nine.
Seine erste Liebe vergisst man nicht leicht.
You don't easily forget your first love.
Ich habe das für zehn Dollar verkauft.
I sold it for ten dollars.
Habt ihr euren Kindern eine Geschichte erzählt?
Did you tell the children a story?
Test yourself
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1 Sprachbausteine
Ich dich sehr gut.
Show answer
Correct answer: verstehe
The verb verstehen has the inseparable prefix ver-. In the present tense with ich, the whole verb is verstehe. The prefix stays attached and does not move to the end.
- Verstehen is the infinitive or the form for wir/sie, not for ich.
- Stehe ver separates the prefix from the verb, which is wrong for verstehen.
- Stehe is the verb without its prefix, so it does not mean understand.
In this topic: Separable verbs
Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.