un/seperable

Question 1

ab-

Answer 1

Separable

Conveys “away”, “down”, “off”, with the idea of finishing or completing an action

fliegen to fly | abfliegen to depart (of airplane)
nehmen to take | abnehmen to take down/off

Question 2

an-

Answer 2

Separable

Conveys “at”, “on”, or the idea of starting an action or doing something partially.

lächeln to smile | anlächeln to smile at
schauen to look | anschauen to look at
probieren to try | anprobieren to try on
tasten to touch | antasten to touch on
trinken to drink | antrinken to start drinking

Question 3

auf-

Answer 3

Separable

Conveys “up” or the idea of a sudden start

‘klären’ - to clarify | aufklären to clear up
essen =to eat | aufessen to eat up
munter = lively | aufmuntern to liven up
brechen = to break | aufbrechen to break open, to set out (on a trip)

Question 4

aus-

Answer 4

Separable

Conveys “out” with the idea of completing an action

gleichen = to equal | ausgleichen to even out
rufen = to call | ausrufen to cry out
radieren = to erase | ausradieren to erase (completely)

Question 5

ein-

Answer 5

Separable

Derived from the preposition “in”. Conveys “in” or the idea of getting used to something

atmen = to breathe | einatmen = to inhale
leiten = to lead | einleiten = to introduce
spielen = to play | einspielen = to warm up

Question 6

los-

Answer 6

Separable

Conveys “away” or the idea of beginning something

fahren = to drive | losfahren = to set out (on a trip)
reißen = to rip | losreißen = to tear away
werden = to become | loswerden = to get rid of

Question 7

mit-

Answer 7

Separable

Conveys “along”, “away”, or the idea of accompanying or cooperating

nehmen = to take | mitnehmen = to take along
singen = to sing | mitsingen = to join in singing
machen = to do | mitmachen = to participate=

Question 8

vor-

Answer 8

Separable

Conveys the idea of demonstrating, going forward, or preceding

schreiben = to write | vorschreiben = to stipulate
singen = to sing | vorsingen = to sing to
wärmen = to warm | vorwärmen = to preheat

Question 9

weg-

Answer 9

Separable

Conveys “away”

schicken to send | wegschicken to send away
führen to lead | wegführen to lead away

Question 10

zurück-

Answer 10

Separable

Conveys “back”, the idea of returning

denken = to think | zurückdenken = to think back
reisen = to travel | zurückreisen = to travel back

Question 11

zusammen-

Answer 11

Separable

Conveys “up” or “together”, the idea of reducing to a focal point

schrumpfen = to shrink | zusammenschrumpfen = to shrivel up
kleben = to adhere | zusammenkleben = to stick together
brechen = to break | zusammenbrechen = to collapse, cave in

Question 12

durch-

Answer 12

Separable

has the meaning of entering a process with purpose and coming out the other end.

“durcharbeiten” (to work through);
“durchbrechen” (to break through);
“durchatmen” (to breathe deeply);
“durchbraten” (to cook or roast all the way through); “durchdrehen” (to put through a grinder);
“durchgehen” (to walk through);
“sich durchfinden” (to find one’s way through); “durchhalten” (to withstand, to endure);
“durchfahren” (to drive straight through);
“durchführen” (to implement; to carry out [a task]); “durchkämmen” (to comb through [hair]);
“durchlassen” (to allow through);
“durchschlüpfen (to slip through);
“durchschneiden” (to cut through);
“durchsprechen” (to talk through; to talk over; to talk out; to argue something out);
“durchstoßen” (to knock a hole through); “durchwählen” (to dial directly);
“durchziehen” (to pull through [an opening]).

Question 13

entgegen-

Answer 13

Separable

“entgegen-“ means “toward” or “against”:

“entgegenarbeiten” (to work against); “entgegenkommen” (to approach; to accommodate; to meet halfway);
“entgegennehmen” (to accept or receive); “entgegensetzen” (to contrast);
“sich entegenstellen” (to oppose);
“entgegentreten” (to confront); “entgegenwirken” (to counteract).

Question 14

entlang-

Answer 14

Separable

“entlang-“ means “along”. It can be affixed to just about any verb of motion.

“entlanggehen”, “entlanglaufen” (to go/walk along)

Question 15

fort-

Answer 15

Separable

fort-“ means “away,” “forth,” or “onward” [as in “continuing”].

“sich fortbewegen” (to move along; to move on); “fortbilden” (to continue [one’s] education);
“fortbringen” (to take away [for repair]);
“sich fortentwickeln” (to continue to develop);
“fortfahren” (to continue);
“fortlaufen” (to run away);
“fortpflanzen” (to propagate);
“fortsetzen” (to continue);
“forttreiben” (to drive away).

Question 16

frei-

Answer 16

Separable

frei-“ means “free” or “clear”:

"freibekommen" (to get time off); 
"freihalten" (to keep clear [not block]); 
"freikämpfen" (to liberate); 
"freikommen" (to escape; to get away); 
"freilegen" (to uncover); 
"freisetzen" (to release)

Question 17

gleich-

Answer 17

Separable

“gleich-“ means “equal”:

“gleichbleiben” (to stay the same);
“gleichkommen” (to equal; to be tantamount to); “gleichmachen” (to make equal);
“gleichsetzen” (to equate; to treat as equivalent)

Question 18

heim-

Answer 18

Separable

“heim-“ means “home”

"heimbegleiten" (to accompany home);
"heimfahren" (to drive home); 
"heimfinden" (to find one's way home); 
"heimgehen" (to go/walk home); 
"heimkehren" (to return home); 
"heimkommen" (to come home);

Question 19

hin-

Answer 19

Separable

indicates motion away from the speaker, “thither”; also “down.”

"hinarbeiten" (to work towards); 
"hinbekommen" (to get something done);  
"hinbewegen" (to move toward); 
"hinbiegen" (to arrange); 
"hinbringen" (to take there); 
"hindeuten" (to point to); 
"hinfahren" (to go/drive there); 
"hinfallen" (to fall down); 
"hinfinden" (to find one's way to); 
"hinführen" (to lead to); "hingeraten" (to get there); "hinhalten" (to hold out; to delay); 
"hinhorchen" (to listen closely); 
"hinknien" (to kneel down); 
"hinkommen" (to get there);  "hinlegen" (to lay down); "hinlenken" (to steer toward); 
"hinnehmen" (to accept; to put up with); 
"hinschicken" (to send there); 
 "sich hinsetzen" (to sit down);

Question 20

mit-

Answer 20

Separable

“mit-“ can be attached to any appropriate verb to indicate joining or participating in the activity, somewhat akin to the English “along”:

"mitarbeiten" (to collaborate; to work along with); "mitbringen" (to bring along); 
"mitfahren" (to ride with); 
"etwas mitgeben" (to give something [for the purpose of taking it along]); 
"mithalten" (to keep up with); 
"mithelfen" (to help out); 
"mithören" (to listen in; to eavesdrop); 
"mitkommen" (to come along); 
"mitmachen" (to participate); 
"mitnehmen" (to take along); 
"mitschreiben" (to take notes); 
"mitsingen" (to sing along); 
"mitspielen" (to take part in the game);

Question 21

nach-

Answer 21

Separable

“nach-“ offers a variety of meanings. Attached to a verb of motion, it can mean to “follow after” (see also hinterher-); in some cases, the act of “following” can designate a testing or other kind of follow-up of a previous action; “nach-“ can also indicate imitation or else a reduction, or lessening:

“nachahmen” (to imitate);
“nachbessern” (to touch up; to improve by making adjustments);
“nachbestellen” (to order more [of something]); “nachdrucken” (to reprint);
“nachempfinden / nachfühlen” (to empathize; to share feelings with);

Question 22

um-

Answer 22

Separable

“um-“ can carry a variety of meanings including “around,” “down,” and “over.” It also can denote substantial sorts of change:

“umändern” (to change; to change around);
“umarbeiten” (to rework);
“umbenennen” (to rename);
“umblicken” (to look around);
“umbringen” (to kill); “umbuchen” (to re-book [travel plans]);
“umdenken” (to rethink; to revise one’s opinion);

Question 23

vor-

Answer 23

Separable

“vor-“has the meanings “before,” “forward,” “pre-,” and “pro-“:

“vorbereiten” (to prepare);
“vorbringen” (to propose; to bring forward; to produce); ;
“vorfahren” (to drive on ahead; to drive up in front [of a building]);
“vorfallen” (to happen);

Question 24

weg-

Answer 24

Separable

“weg-“ means “away”:

"wegbleiben" (to stay away); 
"wegbringen" (to take away); 
"wegfahren" (to drive off); 
"weggeben" (to give away); 
"weggehen" (to go away); 
"wegjagen" (to chase away); 
"wegkommen" (to get away);

Question 25

weiter-

Answer 25

Seperable

“weiter-“ means “further”

“weiterbestehen” (to continue to exist);
“weitergehen” (to move along);
“weiterkommen” (to get further; to make progress);

Question 26

zu-

Answer 26

Separable

“zu-“ means “closed,” “to,” “towards,” “upon”:

“zubauen” (to block off);
“zubinden” (to tie; to tie up); “zubringen” (to bring/take to);
“zukommen” (to approach);
“zulassen” (to authorize);
“zumachen” (to close);
“zunehmen” (to increase; to gain weight); “zuziehen” (to pull shut).

Question 27

be-

Answer 27

inseparable

1) Makes intransitive verbs or verbs with prepositional objects transitive, or shifts the action to a different object

zaubern - to do magic | bezaubern - to enchant

Question 28

ent-

Answer 28

inseparable

Added to verbs to convey the idea of escaping or moving away.

fliehen = to flee | entfliehen = to escape, flee (from)
kommen = to come | entkommen = to escape, come away (from)

Question 29

emp-

Answer 29

inseperable

A variation of ent- that is used before some verb roots beginning with f.

fehlen = to be lacking | empfehlen = to recommend
finden = to find | empfinden = to perceive, sense

Question 30

er-

Answer 30

inseperable

Creates verbs from nouns or other verbs. Conveys the conclusion or end achievement of an action.

finden =  to find | erfinden = to invent
lernen = to learn | erlernen = to learn, acquire
trinken = to drink | ertrinken = to drown

Question 31

miss-

Answer 31

inseperable

Like the English prefix mis-, the German miss- indicates failure. It creates a verb that stands as a negative opposite to its positive or neutral root.

– | misslingen = to fail
fallen = to fall | missfallen = to displease
billigen = to approve | missbilligen = to disapprove
handeln = to act | misshandeln = to maltreat, abuse

Question 32

ver-

Answer 32

Inseperable

Added to verbs to express idea of completion, waning, or going away.

hungern = to be hungry | verhungern = to starve
geben = to give | vergeben = to give away
jagen = to hunt | verjagen = to chase away

Question 33

zer-

Answer 33

inseperable

Creates verbs from nouns, adjectives, or other verbs to indicate destruction, usually “into pieces”.

stören = to bother | zerstören = to destroy
teilen = to divide | zerteilen = to disperse