C1 · Grammar · Wortbildung
German Word Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes and How to Read a Word You Have Never Seen
The ruleGerman builds rather than borrows, so an unfamiliar word is usually a familiar one with a prefix, a suffix, or another noun bolted on.
At C1 the vocabulary stops being a list and starts being a system. Most of the words you have not met are derivable, and being able to derive them under time pressure is worth more than another thousand memorised items.
The inseparable verb prefixes
Eight prefixes, each with a recognisable effect. They do not translate cleanly, but they are far from arbitrary.
| Prefix | Typical effect | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| be- | Makes a verb transitive; applies it to a whole object | antworten → beantworten, wohnen → bewohnen, arbeiten → bearbeiten |
| ver- | Away, wrongly, or completely | laufen → verlaufen, sprechen → versprechen, schwinden → verschwinden |
| ent- | Removal, reversal | laden → entladen, decken → entdecken, spannen → entspannen |
| er- | Achieving a result | finden → erfinden, arbeiten → erarbeiten, kennen → erkennen |
| zer- | Into pieces | stören → zerstören, brechen → zerbrechen |
| miss- | Wrongly, badly | verstehen → missverstehen, brauchen → missbrauchen |
| emp- | Receiving (a small closed set) | empfangen, empfehlen, empfinden |
| ge- | Fossilised, no live pattern | gehören, gefallen, gestehen |
be- is the most productive and the most useful to understand: it takes what would be a prepositional object and makes it a direct one. auf eine Frage antworten becomes eine Frage beantworten; über ein Thema sprechen becomes ein Thema besprechen.
Suffixes give away the gender
This is the practical payoff. A noun's ending fixes its article far more reliably than any semantic rule, and the list is short.
| Gender | Suffixes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| die | -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ion, -tät, -ik, -ie, -ur, -anz, -enz | die Zeitung, die Freiheit, die Universität, die Energie |
| der | -er, -ling, -ismus, -ant, -ent, -ist, -or, -us | der Lehrer, der Lehrling, der Journalist, der Motor |
| das | -chen, -lein, -ment, -um, -tum, -nis (mostly), infinitives | das Mädchen, das Dokument, das Zentrum, das Essen |
The die row is the most valuable: -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ion and -tät have essentially no exceptions, and together they cover a large share of abstract vocabulary.
Compounds
The last element decides the gender and the meaning; everything before it modifies. die Bahn plus der Hof gives der Bahnhof: a yard for trains, masculine because Hof is.
- die Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung speed limit Geschwindigkeit + s + Begrenzung → feminine, from Begrenzung.
- das Krankenhauspersonal hospital staff Read backwards: staff, of the hospital.
- die Arbeitslosenversicherung unemployment insurance Three parts, one gender: Versicherung's.
The linking -s- or -n- is not random but is close enough to it that it has to be learned per word. As a rule of thumb, a first element ending in -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft or -tät takes -s-.
Where it goes wrong
Ich habe die Frage geantwortet.
Ich habe die Frage beantwortet.
antworten takes a prepositional object: auf eine Frage antworten. The be- prefix is exactly what converts it into a transitive verb that can take die Frage directly.
Test yourself
2 questions on this
-
1 Präfix/Partikel bei trennbaren Verben Sprachbausteine
Früher brachte man die Tauben von ihrem Zuhause.
Show answer
Correct answer: weg
Das Verb 'wegbringen' ist trennbar, im Satz wird 'weg' ans Satzende gestellt.
Read the full text: Tauben
-
2 Präfix beim trennbaren Verb 'herauskommen' Sprachbausteine
Android wird immer wieder ein wenig verbessert und kommt in einer neuen Version . Das passiert fast jedes Jahr.
Show answer
Correct answer: heraus
Das Verb 'herauskommen' bedeutet 'erscheinen'. Die anderen Präfixe passen nicht.
Read the full text: Android
Common questions
What does the German prefix 'be-' do?
It usually makes an intransitive verb transitive, converting a prepositional object into a direct one: auf eine Frage antworten becomes eine Frage beantworten, über etwas sprechen becomes etwas besprechen. It is the most productive of the inseparable prefixes.
Which German noun endings are always feminine?
-ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ion, -tät, -ik, -ie and -ur are feminine with essentially no exceptions. Since they cover much of the abstract vocabulary, learning the list removes a large share of gender guessing.
How do I work out the gender of a German compound?
From the last element. der Bahnhof is masculine because Hof is; die Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung is feminine because Begrenzung is. The same rule gives the core meaning: read the compound backwards and the final noun is what the thing actually is.
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