Ich rufe dich an.

prefix splits off and goes to the end

FormVerb (Position 2) … trennbares Präfix (Satzende)

Meaning and usage

Some German verbs have a prefix that can leave the verb. In a main clause the verb stays in position 2 and the prefix moves to the end of the sentence. Ich rufe dich an. shows this: rufe is the verb and an is the prefix at the end.

In a yes/no question the verb moves to position 1 and the prefix still goes to the end: Rufst du mich an? In a weil clause the verb goes to the end and the prefix stays attached: weil ich dich anrufe. A common mistake is to keep the prefix on the verb in a main clause, as in Ich anrufe dich.

Examples 5

Ich rufe dich morgen an.

I'll call you tomorrow.

Ich rufe dich um sieben Uhr an.

I'll call you at seven.

Ich stehe jeden Morgen um sechs auf.

I get up at six every morning.

Ich sehe mir einen interessanten Film an.

I'm watching an interesting movie.

Wann kommt er von seiner Reise zurück?

When does he get back from his trip?

Test yourself

1 Sprachbausteine

Ich dich heute Abend an.
Show answer
Correct answer: rufe

The subject ich needs the first person singular form rufe. The prefix an is already at the end, so the verb stays in position 2.
- rufen is the wir or sie form, and it does not match the subject ich.
- ruft is the er, sie, es or ihr form, and it does not match the subject ich.
- rufst is the du form, and it does not match the subject ich.

In this topic: Separable verbs

Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.