Some German verbs are made of a small word and a verb, such as auf + stehen (to get up) or an + rufen (to call). In many sentences the two parts come apart, which is why they are called separable verbs.
The basic pattern
In a normal statement, the main part of the verb takes its usual place (second), and the prefix jumps to the end of the clause:
Ich stehe jeden Tag um sieben Uhr auf.
I get up at seven o’clock every day.
Ich rufe dich morgen an.
I will call you tomorrow.
The dictionary form is one word, aufstehen and anrufen. When you meet a verb that seems to be missing its object, or a small word like auf or an at the end of a sentence, look for the verb earlier in the clause.
When it stays together
The prefix sits in front of the verb again whenever the verb goes to the end itself:
- With a modal verb: Ich muss früh aufstehen.
- In a subordinate clause: …, weil ich früh aufstehe.
- In the infinitive with zu: Es ist schwer, früh aufzustehen. Here zu goes between the prefix and the verb.
In the perfect tense
The past participle keeps the prefix in front and puts the ge- in the middle: aufgestanden, angerufen, eingekauft.
Er hat mich gestern angerufen.
He called me yesterday.
For more on how participles are built, see the past participle entry in the glossary.
How to spot one
Common separable prefixes are an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, vor-, zu-, ab-, weg-, zurück-. They are stressed, so you say AUFstehen. Verbs with the unstressed prefixes be-, ent-, er-, ge-, ver-, zer- are the opposite: they never separate, as in Ich verstehe dich.
A handful of prefixes, such as über-, um-, unter- and durch-, can go either way depending on the verb. A dictionary will tell you which.