PREFIXES IN GERMAN Inseparable prefixes

beTends to make verbs transitiv and implies an active quality bedienen = bewohnen = begnaden = besolden = makes a verb transitive beantworten = to answer (a question) or turns action towards object besuchen = to visit bekommen = to receive, get means "de" demaskieren = dezentralisieren = upward empfangen = to receive

de-

empent-

opposition (dis-, de-); beginning of action; implies removal entnehmen = entfrben = entlaufen = entfliehen = entgehen = to escape implies an active quality and may imply a goal or result intensifies meaning of base verb, upward/endward direction, effecting, achieving erschiessen = erbitten = erschlagen = stress on outcome erleben = to experience or accomplishment erkennen = to recognize formerly implied collectivity or perfect tense derivative); no recognizeable meaning now gehren = gewinnen = gebren = result, completeness gewinnen = to win or gain successful action gebrauchen = to use up, consume means "incorrectly" miachten = miverstehen = mibrauchen = missverstehen = to misunderstand missbrauchen = to abuse
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er-

ge-

mi-

fehl-

means "unsuccessfully" fehlschieen = fehlgreifen = means "re" rekonstruieren = reproduzieren = negative (un-) wrong; up to a (negative) result away verreisen = verjagen = verschmeien = too much versalzen = verpfeffern = wrong verhren = verlegen = action of the verb has verschlafen = to oversleep miscarried (BUT NOT ALWAYS!) verlaufen = to go astray apart, separating, dissembling, destroying zerbomben = zerbrechen = zerreissen = asunder, apart zerbrechen = to break into pieces zerstren = to destroy

re-

unver-

zer-

Separable Prefixes (some meanings/implications)

aboff, down, away (from) abholen = to pick up abnehmen = to take off at, on, to, up to means to reach a goal anreisen = ankommen = anfliegen = means "on" anmachen = anschalten = anbinden = anfangen = to start, begin anrufen = to call, telephone anziehen = to put on, dress open, up, finish means "up" aufsteigen aufbauen aufkleben aufhren aufessen aufhren aufrumen aufstehen

an-

auf-

= = = = = = to stop = to clean up = to get up, stand up

aus-

out, out of, off means out aussteigen = ausschlpfen = ausladen = means bring to an end ausdiskutieren = auslesen = ausglhen = ausgehen = to go out aussehen = to look, appear means "add to" or "join" beifgen = beispringen = beiliegen = means "through" durchwandern = durchbohren = durchbrechen = in, into means "in"
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bei-

durch-

ein-

einkommen einmischen einpacken einkaufen einschlafen entgegenmeans "toward" entgegenlaufen entgegenfahren entgegengehen far fernsehen away fortgehen

= = = = to shop = to fall asleep

fernfort-

= to watch TV = to leave, go away

her-

hither, toward (the speaker); herab- (down), herauf- (up), heraus- (out), herein- (in), herber- (over) herholen = to fetch herkommen = to come from thither, away from (the speaker); hinab- (down), hinauf- (up), hinaus- (out), hinein- (in), hinber- (over) hinstellen = to place, put means "behind" or "back" hintergehen = hinterlegen = hintertragen = means "loose" or "free" losbinden = losschrauben = loskoppeln = together with /along with nach- after, behind mitbringen = to bring along mitkommen = to come along mitnehmen = to take along after means "back" nachblicken = nachspringen = nachwerfen = means "afterwards" or "later" nachblhen = nachklingen = nachzhlen = nachdenken = to think, reflect nachfragen = to inquire, ask after means "over"
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hin-

hinter-

los-

mit-

nach-

ber-

berfliegen berqueren berfahren um-

= = =

means "around" umgehen = umkreisen = umdrehen = means "change" umladen = umsteigen umziehen = um = around, at umsehen = to look around means "under" or "down" unterdrcken = unterwerfen = untertauchen = ahead, before means in "in front" or "forward" vorstehen = vorbringen = vorlaufen = vorhaben = to have planned vorstellen = to introduce by, past vorbeikommen = to come by shut, close means "toward something" zulaufen = zueilen = zugehen = means "close" zumachen = zupacken = zuschlieen = zuhren = to listen zumachen = to close back zurckgeben = to give back zurckkommen = to come back together zusammenkommen = to come together away weggehen wegnehmen means "again"
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unter-

vor-

vorbei zu-

zurck-

zusammenweg-

= to go away, leave = to take away

wieder-

wiederholen wiederfinden

= =