Separable and Inseparable Verbs in German

Separable verbs and inseparable verbs in German are verbs whose meaning is altered by the addition of a prefix. So in its infinitive the prefix is added before the root verb. Inseparable verbs keep the prefix before the root verb in all tenses, thus being inseparable. Separable verbs have the prefix separated from the root verb in most tenses.

  • Inseparable verb: bekommen (to receive), ich bekomme (I receive)
  • Separable verb: ankommen (to arrive), ich komme an (I arrive)

Both verbs have the same root verb kommen (to come).

So the prefixes are used to change the meaning but the verb conjugation follows the pattern of the root verb.

Starting from December 16th, Verbix online conjugator shows in German verb conjugation tables the prefixes (inseparable/separable) and other verbs with the same prefix. In addition the root verb is shown along with different prefixes.

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Germanic Tribes Allover

Today Germanic languages are spoken allover the world, mainly because the English language belongs to Germanic languages. In Europe, however, Germanic languages are spoken in Central and Northern Europe only.

But around AD 400 the Germanic tribes were on the move allover Europe, as can be seen in the map behind the link below.

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German Language Spoken Here

We know that German is spoken in Germany, Europe. Some of us know that it’s spoken in Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well.

But German dialects are spoken elsewhere too. Or perhaps the spoken German is so different in Papua New Guinea and Pennsylvania that it could be considered another language? See the verbs at Verbix language drafts.

The Finnish Verb Nauttia

The Finnish verb nauttia ‘to enjoy’ doesn’t have any equivalent among the closest language relatives.

The stem of this verb is an old Germanic loan, with a reconstructed word stem *nautijan- ‘to possess, to enjoy’. This stem is represented in today’s Swedish verb nöta ‘to spend’, with an older meaning ‘to enjoy’.

In written language the verb nauttia has been since the XVI century.

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