Day 81 - Prefixes

Question 1

Like in English, German prefixes have a general meaning. For example, the prefix pre- means before. It isn’t necessary to memorize these, but if you can recall the general meaning of prefixes, it will help you distinguish similar vocabulary words.

For example, you have previously studied the word packen (to pack). If you know ein- means in, and aus- means out, you can derive the meaning of the words einpacken (to pack up) and auspacken (to unpack) without looking them up.

Of course, some of the meanings are far more abstract, like aufhören (to stop), but even with words like this you can use the prefix meanings to create a mnemonic: Stop what you are doing and listen up!

Prefix Meanings

AB- away from
AN- at / on / to / toward
AUF- on / open / up / finish
AUS- out / extend / off
BE- effecting / grasping
BEI- along / with
DURCH- through
EIN- in / into
EMP- upward / receive
ENT- away from / separate / oppose
ER- completed / fatal
FORT- away / continue
HER- hither / from / toward
HIN- down / to / away from
HINTER-behind
MISS- failure
MIT- with
NACH- after / follow / copy
NIEDER- down / lower
ÜBER- over / too much / failure
UM- around / down / over
VER- make worse / opposite / bad
VOLL- full / complete
VOR- ahead / before / pre-
WEG- away
WIDER- against / oppose
WIEDER- again
ZER- destroy / shatter / collapse
ZU- close / shut
ZURÜCK- back / re-
ZUSAMMEN- together

Question 2

1. AB.LAUFEN…to expire / run out ab’laufen (läuft ab) |lief ab, abgelaufen|
   ab = away from
2. BEI.BRINGEN…to teach / provide bei’bringen |brachte bei, beigebracht|
   bei = along, with
3. EMPFINDEN…to sense / feel empfinden |empfand, empfunden|
   emp = upward, receive
4. MIT.GEHEN…to go with / accompany mit’gehen |ging mit, mitgegangen|
   mit = with
5. NACH.BILDEN…to copy / clone / reproduce
   nach = after, follow, copy
6. VERBINDEN…to connect / combine verbinden |verband, verbunden|
   ver = make worse, opposite, bad
7. WEG.GEHEN…to leave / go away weg’gehen |ging weg, weggegangen|
   weg = away
8. ZERLEGEN…to break apart / disassemble
   zer = destroy, shatter, collapse
9. ZURÜCK.KOMMEN…to return / come back zurück’kommen |kam zurück. zurückgekommen|
   zurück = back, re-
10. ZUSAMMEN.HÄNGEN…to be related / associated zusammen’hängen |hing zusammen, zusammengehangen|
    zusammen = together

Question 3

1. The milk has expired.

Answer 3

Die Milch ist abgelaufen.

ablaufen…to expire, run out

Question 4

2. Can you teach me German?

Answer 4

Kannst du mir Deutsch beibringen?

Question 5

3. He felt a deep sadness.

Answer 5

Er empfand eine tiefe Traue.

empfinden…to sense, to feel

Question 6

4. Will you go with us?

Answer 6

Wirst du mit uns mitgehen?

mitgehen…go with or accompany

Ich werde
Du wirst
Er/Sie/Es wird
Wir werden
Ihr werdet
Sie werden

werden https://storylearning.com/learn/german/german-tips/german-verb-werden

Question 7

5. They copied the Titanic one for one.

Answer 7

Sie haben die Titanic eins zu eins nachgebildet.

Question 8

6. The computer is not connected to the network.

Answer 8

Der Computer is nicht mit dem Netzwerk verbunden.

verbinden…to connect or combine

Question 9

7. Go away!

Answer 9

Geh weg!

Question 10

8. I took the toy apart

Answer 10

Ich habe das Spielzeug zerlegt.

zerlegen…to disassemble

Question 11

9. When are you all coming back?

Answer 11

Wann kommt ihr zurück?

Question 12

10. These two are related.

Answer 12

Diese Zwei hängen zusammen.

zusammenhängen…to be related or associated