B1 Atlas

Guide

German Separable Verbs: How the Verb Bracket Works

Learn how German separable verbs split, where the prefix goes, and how time phrases fit between the two halves of the verb bracket.

B1 Atlas · Updated

German separable verbs look like one word in the infinitive and two pieces in a simple sentence.

Start with auf·stehen, to get up:

Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf.

The front half, stehe, sits in position 2. The prefix, auf, moves to the end. Together they make a frame around the rest of the sentence.

This frame is the verb bracket, die Satzklammer.

How to spot a separable verb

In a vocabulary table, a midpoint marks where the verb can split:

Infinitive Meaning Example sentence
auf·stehen to get up Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf.
an·fangen to begin Der Kurs fängt um neun an.
an·rufen to call Ich rufe meine Mutter an.
fern·sehen to watch TV Am Abend sehen wir fern.

The midpoint is a learning mark. Use it in a vocabulary table, but not in normal writing. The standard infinitives are aufstehen, anfangen, anrufen, and fernsehen.

Build the verb bracket

Use three steps:

  1. Find the split shown by the midpoint.
  2. Put the conjugated front half in position 2.
  3. Put the prefix at the end.

Here is the pattern:

First sentence part Position 2 Middle Bracket close
Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf.
Der Kurs fängt um neun an.
Am Abend sehen wir fern.

The first sentence part can change. The front half of the verb still takes position 2, and the prefix still closes the bracket.

Put time inside the bracket

A time phrase often sits between the two verb pieces:

Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf.

Ich räume am Abend die Küche auf.

Ich rufe meine Eltern am Sonntag an.

Do not move the prefix next to the front half. Keep the bracket open until the end.

The time phrase can also come first:

Am Abend sehen wir fern.

Am Abend is the first sentence part. Sehen remains in position 2. Fern stays at the end.

What happens in a question?

The prefix still waits at the end:

Wann stehen Sie auf?

Kommst du mit?

The question shape changes the front of the sentence, but it does not pull the prefix away from the bracket close.

A five-item check

Put the front half in the correct form and move the prefix to the end.

  1. ich / um sechs Uhr / auf·stehen
  2. der Kurs / um neun / an·fangen
  3. ich / meine Eltern / am Sonntag / an·rufen
  4. am Abend / wir / fern·sehen
  5. ich / am Abend / die Küche / auf·räumen

Answers:

  1. Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf.
  2. Der Kurs fängt um neun an.
  3. Ich rufe meine Eltern am Sonntag an.
  4. Am Abend sehen wir fern.
  5. Ich räume am Abend die Küche auf.

Read the answers once. Then cover them and rebuild each sentence. Check two places only: the front half in position 2 and the prefix at the end.

What to learn next

Use the bracket inside short daily-routine sentences until the split feels normal. The first German conversation guide explains the position-2 rule that holds the front half of the verb in place.

If you want another word-order pattern, the directions guide shows how location phrases work with wo? and the Dativ.

Frequently asked questions

What is a separable verb in German?

A separable verb has a prefix that moves to the end of a simple present-tense sentence. In Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf, stehe is in position 2 and auf closes the sentence.

Where does the prefix go in a German sentence?

In the beginner pattern covered here, the prefix goes at the end. The front half of the verb stays in position 2, as in Der Kurs fängt um neun an.

Why is aufstehen written with a dot in vocabulary tables?

The midpoint in auf·stehen marks the place where the verb splits. It is a learning signal used in tables; running German uses the normal spelling aufstehen.

Where does a time phrase go with a separable verb?

A time phrase can sit between the two verb parts: Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf. The front half stays in position 2 and the prefix remains at the end.