A1-19 · Separate the prefix in main clauses

My day

Describe a simple daily routine with separable verbs.

About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions

The prefix goes to the end

Some verbs have a separable prefix. In an ordinary main clause, conjugate the main part and put the prefix at the end.

Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf.

I get up at seven o'clock.

Mara steht um acht Uhr auf.

Mara gets up at eight o'clock.

Ich kaufe am Samstag ein.

I go shopping on Saturday.

Wir kaufen am Freitag ein.

We go shopping on Friday.

Aufstehen becomes ich stehe ... auf. Einkaufen becomes ich kaufe ... ein. The prefix belongs to the verb even when other words stand between them.

Anfangen means to start. Anrufen means to phone someone. An stays at the end of these main clauses.

Der Kurs fängt um neun Uhr an.

The course starts at nine o'clock.

Ich fange um zehn Uhr an.

I start at ten o'clock.

Ich rufe Mara an.

I phone Mara.

Ben ruft seine Mutter an.

Ben phones his mother.

The third-person form of anfangen changes the vowel: er/sie fängt ... an. Anrufen uses ich rufe and er/sie ruft.

The prefix remains at the end when the sentence starts with a time phrase or becomes a question.

Wann stehst du auf?

When do you get up?

Kaufst du heute ein?

Are you going shopping today?

Am Montag stehen wir früh auf.

On Monday we get up early.

Rufst du Ben heute an?

Are you phoning Ben today?

Wann asks when. A yes/no question starts with the conjugated part of the verb, not with the separated prefix.

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