Some German verbs come with a small prefix attached to the front — aufstehen (to get up), einkaufen (to shop), anrufen (to call). In the dictionary, and in a sentence with a modal verb, they look like one word. But in a simple present-tense sentence, that prefix breaks off and jumps all the way to the end of the clause, while the rest of the verb stays conjugated where you'd expect it.

Quick shortcut: conjugate the base verb normally in second position — the prefix moves to the very end of the clause.

What "separable" means

Aufstehen is really two parts: the prefix auf- and the verb stehen. In a simple sentence, only stehen gets conjugated and stays in second position — auf detaches and travels to the end:

  • Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf. (I get up at seven o'clock.)
  • Du stehst früh auf. (You get up early.)
  • Wir stehen am Wochenende spät auf. (We get up late on weekends.)

Notice the base verb stehen conjugates completely normally — the separable prefix doesn't change how stehen itself is conjugated, it just relocates.

Common separable prefixes

Many short, everyday prepositions and particles double as separable prefixes: auf-, an-, aus-, ein-, mit-, zu-, ab-, and more.

Verb Meaning Example
aufstehen to get up Ich stehe auf.
einkaufen to shop Sie kauft im Supermarkt ein.
anrufen to call (phone) Er ruft seine Mutter an.
mitkommen to come along Du kommst mit.
ausgehen to go out Wir gehen heute Abend aus.
abfahren to depart Der Zug fährt um acht ab.
zumachen to close Ich mache das Fenster zu.

The prefix carries most of the meaning change — stehen (to stand) becomes aufstehen (to get up/stand up); kaufen (to buy) becomes einkaufen (to shop/go shopping). Learning the prefix's rough sense (auf- = up, ein- = in, aus- = out, mit- = along/with, ab- = away/off) helps you guess at new separable verbs.

Recognizing a separable verb

In the infinitive, a separable prefix is always stressed and written as one word with the verb: aufstehen, einkaufen, anrufen. This is different from a small group of prefixes — be-, ver-, ent-, er-, zer-, and a few others — that never separate and are usually unstressed; those are a separate topic for later. For now, the prefixes in the table above are the ones you'll meet constantly — in the simple present-tense main-clause patterns in this lesson, the conjugated base verb stays near the front and the prefix goes to the end.

Where nicht goes

When you negate the action with nicht, it usually comes right before the separable prefix:

  • Ich stehe nicht auf. (I'm not getting up.)
  • Wir kaufen heute nicht ein. (We're not shopping today.)

Nicht slots in right before the prefix, since the prefix is the last thing in the clause either way.

Separable verbs with a modal verb: they don't split

When a separable verb is paired with a modal verb (können, müssen, wollen...), it goes to the end as one whole word, in its infinitive form — it doesn't split at all in this case:

  • Ich muss früh aufstehen. (I have to get up early.) — not ❌ Ich muss früh auf stehen, and not ❌ Ich stehe früh auf müssen.
  • Wir wollen heute einkaufen. (We want to shop today.)
  • Kannst du mich anrufen? (Can you call me?)

The modal verb takes second position, exactly as with any other verb pairing, and the separable verb sits at the end intact — the split only happens when the separable verb itself is the one being conjugated in a simple sentence.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ Ich aufstehe um sieben. → ✅ Ich stehe um sieben auf. (only the base verb is conjugated and moved to second position — the prefix stays behind at the end)
  • ❌ Ich stehe auf um sieben. → ✅ Ich stehe um sieben auf. (the prefix goes to the end of the main clause, after the normal sentence elements — not right after the conjugated verb)
  • ❌ Ich muss auf stehen früh. → ✅ Ich muss früh aufstehen. (with a modal verb, the separable verb stays together as one infinitive at the end — it doesn't split, and the infinitive still goes last)
  • ❌ Ich stehe nicht. (meaning "I'm not getting up") → ✅ Ich stehe nicht auf. (nicht comes right before the prefix, not instead of it)

Quick check

Can you put each sentence together correctly?

  1. (ich / stehe / auf / um acht Uhr) — "I get up at eight o'clock."
  2. (sie / kauft / ein / heute) — "She's shopping today."
  3. (wir / müssen / einkaufen / heute) — "We have to shop today." (with a modal verb)
  4. (er / ruft / nicht / an / mich) — "He's not calling me."
Show answers
  1. Ich stehe um acht Uhr auf.
  2. Sie kauft heute ein.
  3. Wir müssen heute einkaufen.
  4. Er ruft mich nicht an.

Key takeaways

  • Separable verbs (aufstehen, einkaufen, anrufen...) split in a simple present-tense sentence: the base verb conjugates normally in second position, and the prefix moves to the very end of the clause.
  • Common separable prefixes include auf-, ein-, an-, mit-, aus-, ab-, zu- — always stressed and written as one word in the infinitive.
  • Nicht comes right before the separable prefix when negating the whole sentence.
  • With a modal verb, a separable verb does not split — it goes to the end of the sentence whole, as a single infinitive.