Tip 1: Memorize the Prefixes by Heart – Again and Again
Write a list of the prefixes. Place it somewhere you can see it again and again: on the refrigerator, next to your desk, inside your phone case.
For the absolute start at A1
If you have just started working with separable verbs at A1, focus on this list:
- ab
- an
- aus
- ein
- mit
- zu
For A1 and A2, learn these prefixes
- ab-, an-, auf-, aus-
- bei-
- da-
- ein-
- fern-
- gegen-
- heim-
- los-
- mit-
- nach-
- vor-
- weg-, weiter-
- zu-, zurück-, zusammen-
If you do not know all the meanings yet, that is not a problem. Over time, more and more separable verbs will be added. Then the meaning will also become clear. What is important is that you can identify the prefixes.
From B1 to C1, this list of prefixes is relevant
- ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, auseinander-
- bei-
- da-
- ein-, empor-, entgegen-, entlang-, entzwei-
- fern-, fest-, fort-
- gegen-, gegenüber-
- heim-, hin-, her-, hinterher-, hoch-
- los-
- mit-
- nach-, nieder-
- raus-, rein-, runter-, rüber-
- vor-
- weg-, weiter-
- zu-, zurecht-, zurück-, zusammen-
Important: At B1, you should not set the goal of knowing the meaning of every prefix. That is too difficult and too much. You will learn them over time. With every new separable verb, your understanding of the prefix meaning grows. In the first step, you must be able to identify the prefixes.
Tip 2: Learn the meaning of the whole verb regularly
💡 Important for all of the following exercises: Write them by hand.
If separable verbs are still completely new to you
➡️ Learn consistently the verbs you studied in class. Take 15 minutes every day to focus only on these verbs.
➡️ Write one sentence for each separable verb and conjugate the verb for every person. Say the sentences out loud:
- Heute kaufe ich im Supermarkt ein.
- Morgen kaufst du im Supermarkt ein.
➡️ Highlight the separable verbs in color.
➡️ Repeat the sentences again and again by saying them out loud and writing them 10 times:
Heute kaufe ich im Supermarkt ein. Heute kaufe ich im Supermarkt ein. Heute kaufe ich im Supermarkt ein. Heute kaufe ich im Supermarkt ein. 10 mal.
Sounds monotonous? It is ideal for memorizing the new structure.
➡️ Write them again and vary them. For example, write „Ich kaufe heute im Supermarkt ein“ or „Vielleicht kaufe ich heute im Supermarkt ein“.
If you are currently learning German at level A1+, A2, or B1
Choose 5 separable verbs. You will study them intensively over the next 5 days. Follow the exact same steps described here.
Choose separable verbs from class or verbs you have already learned or seen before.
Day 1: Write one very simple sentence in the present tense with each verb: statement, W question, yes no question, 15 sentences in total. Then read the sentences out loud:
- Anna kommt aus dem Urlaub zurück.
- Wann kommt Anna aus dem Urlaub zurück?
- Kommt Anna aus dem Urlaub zurück?
Day 2: Rewrite the sentences from Day 1 from memory, 15 sentences. Then write each sentence in the Perfekt and say it out loud, also 15 sentences:
- Anna ist aus dem Urlaub zurückgekommen.
- Wann ist Anna aus dem Urlaub zurückgekommen?
- Ist Anna aus dem Urlaub zurückgekommen?
Day 3: Rewrite the sentences from Day 1 and Day 2 again, 30 in total. Read them out loud again. Now add a sentence with „weil“ in the present tense and in the Perfekt to 16 sentences of your choice.
- Ich freue mich, weil Anna aus dem Urlaub zurückkommt.
- Ich freue mich, weil Anna aus dem Urlaub zurückgekommen ist.
Day 4: Write 20 sentences from Days 1 to 3 from memory and check them with your notes. Read them out loud.
This type of repetition is important.
Day 5: Write the sentences that were most difficult for you 10 times each.
With this method, you build your neurons. Your brain gets used to this structure and you become more sensitive to separable verbs, recognize them better, and start using them more automatically and with greater ease.
What should you do after these 5 days?
Take 2 days off. Then choose 5 new separable verbs. You do not have to learn them in the same intensive way as the first 5 verbs. Choose the structures that are most difficult for you, for example yes-no questions plus Perfekt and sentences with „weil“ or „wenn“. Write them down 5 to 10 times per verb and say them out loud. That is important.
📍 Go to Tip 4 here in the blog article.
If you are currently learning at level B2 or C1
First learn the verbs correctly whose meaning you already know. For example vorbereiten. Many learners still say the verb incorrectly at level B2: ❌ Ich vorbereite mich auf die Prüfung.
If you do not use simple separable verbs correctly, you must learn THESE very intensively. Because you have already gotten used to the wrong form. And that is the hardest thing to correct.
Day 1: Make a list of 20 separable verbs from the A1 to A2 level.
Important: Write the verbs already in their separated form.
- Ich bereite mich vor.
- Ich komme an.
Day 2: Read yesterday’s list and write each sentence in the Perfekt.
- Ich habe mich lange auf die Prüfung vorbereitet.
- Ich bin verspätet mit dem Flugzeug angekommen.
Day 3: Write a sentence with „als“ with each separable verb from yesterday.
- Als ich mich auf die Prüfung vorbereitet habe, hatte ich Kopfschmerzen.
- Als ich verspätet mit dem Flugzeug angekommen bin, konnte ich nicht schlafen.
Why with „als“? Because learners at the B2 level still often use „wenn“ instead of „als“. This way you additionally train your brain for this particular form.
Day 4: Write a sentence with „zu“ or „um … zu“ with each verb.
- Ich habe lange gebraucht, um mich auf die Prüfung vorzubereiten.
- Ich bin zu spät aufgestanden, um pünktlich anzukommen.
Day 5: Write 20 sentences from Days 1 to 4 from memory. Then write the sentences that were most difficult for you ten times each.
This routine also makes your brain more sensitive to new and more difficult separable verbs. They will become much easier for you.
What you do after the fifth day
Take two days off.
Choose 5 separable verbs that you have newly learned at B2 or C1.
Write them ten times in separated form and say them out loud. Then go through the same exercises from Days 1 to 5 as described above.
What you do after the next 5 days
📍 Go to Tip 4 here in the blog article and learn according to the structure mentioned there.
Yes, this takes time. If you really want to learn German well, you have to study intensively. Especially if you are already at B2 or C1. If you still say separable verbs from the lower levels A1 to B1 incorrectly at B2 or C1, they have fossilized. That means you have to study much much more intensively than if you are still speaking at A1 or A2.
💡 The rule is: The more advanced you are, the more you must work on your mistakes from A1, A2, and B1.
Tip 3: Pay attention to these factors
| Separate the verb in a main clause | Ich mache … an |
| Do not separate the verb in a subordinate clause | …, wenn ich … anmache |
| Do not separate the verb with a modal verb | muss … anmachen |
These factors are extremely important. If you master these rules, you have already overcome a major hurdle.
👉 Reading tip: In our blog article “Which verbs are separable? – Examples and the 5 most common mistakes” you will learn how to recognize separable verbs and avoid typical mistakes.
Tip 4: Learn 2 to 4 new separable verbs every day
Choose 2 to 4 new separable verbs every day and learn them in a focused way. Choose a very simple sentence. Example: Das Licht ausmachen. Then write the sentence in all 5 forms and READ the sentences out loud.
Wähle jeden Tag 2-4 neue trennbare Verben und lerne sie ganz gezielt. Wähle einen ganz simplen Satz. Beispiel: Das Licht ausmachen. Dann schreibe den Satz in allen 5 Formen und LIES dir die Sätze laut vor.
| Level A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 | Main clause Present | Ich mache das Licht aus |
| Level A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 | Main clause Perfekt | Ich habe das Licht ausgemacht |
| Level A2, B1, B2, C1 | with subordinate clause Present | Es ist wichtig, dass du immer das Licht ausmachst |
| Level A2, B1, B2, C1 | with subordinate clause Perfekt | Ich habe gedacht, dass ich das Licht ausgemacht habe |
| Level B1, B2, C1 | with ‚zu‘-Infinitive | Ich habe vergessen, das Licht auszumachen |
Have someone correct them for you. Or ask an AI if you do not have anyone who can help you. But be careful: AI also makes mistakes 😉
Tip 5: Practice a lot and speak
- Practice a lot and actively with separable and inseparable verbs that are new or difficult for you.
- Speak a lot.
- Integrate the verbs into your daily life by actively using them when you talk to people.
BECAUSE: Speaking is extremely important. In everyday life, we do not write or read to each other, we SPEAK.
And now I wish you lots of fun learning and applying!
Learn to speak German confidently in Frankfurt am Main
Understanding separable verbs is the first step. You will only become truly confident when you use them regularly in conversation. That is where most mistakes happen and that is exactly where you learn the fastest.
In our German courses in Frankfurt am Main, you do not practice grammar in isolation, but directly through speaking. In small groups, you receive immediate feedback and gradually gain more confidence step by step.
If you would like to improve your German in a focused way, feel free to schedule a personal consultation at our language institute in Frankfurt am Main. We will help you speak faster and with more confidence.
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