11.5 Inseparable verb prefixes

Verbs can be formed from nouns or adjectives or other verbs by the INSEPARABLEPREFIXES be-, ent-/emp-, er-, ge-, miss-, ver- and zer-. These prefixes are unstressed and always remain attached to the ROOT. The PASTPARTICIPLES of these verbs do not add ge-. In INFINITIVECLAUSES (see 10.6), zu comes before the verb:

Sie hat versprochenihn zu besuchen. She promised to visit him.

Most of these prefixes have a number of possible meanings. The verbs formed in this way can in turn form nouns, adjectives, adverbs and other verbs, e.g. verstehen – Verstand – Verständnis – verständig – verständigen – verständnisvoll.

Be-

Makes intransitive verbs TRANSITIVE. The dative object or prepositional object of the root verb becomes the accusative object of the verb with be-:

jdn. bedienen serve sb. ← jemandem dienen eine Frage beantworten answer a question ← auf eine Frage antworten etw. bekämpfen combat sth. ← gegen etwas kämpfen

Makes verbs from nounswith the idea of providing with something. The vowel may have

Umlaut, and the suffix -ig- is sometimes added:

Makes verbs from adjectiveswith the idea of endowing something with that quality. The suffix -ig- is sometimes added:

bewässern benachrichtigen

irrigate notify ← das Wasser ← die Nachricht

befeuchten begradigen

moisten straighten ← feucht ← gerade

Ent-,emp-

The prefix emp- is a variety of ent-, but is only used with a few verbs: empfangen, empfehlen, empfinden. Ent- makes verbs from verbs of motion with the idea of escaping or taking something away with that motion (usually with a dative object):

jdm./etw. entlaufen run away from sb./sth. ← laufen jdm. etw. entreißen snatch sth. from sb. ← reißen

Makes verbs from nouns or adjectives with the idea of removing something. Some of these verbs have Umlaut:

entgiften enthärten

decontaminate (take poison away) ← das Gift soften ← hart

entmilitarisieren demilitarize ← militarisieren

Er-

Makes verbs from nouns or other verbs with the idea of gaining something in that way:

Makes verbs from adjectives to express a change of state (i.e. ‘becoming sth’ or ‘making sb. sth’):

etw. erbitten get sth. by asking for it etw. erarbeiten get sth. by working for it etw. erforschen find out sth. by research ← bitten ← die Arbeit ← forschen

erblinden erröten

go blind blush (become red) erleichtern make easier ← blind ← rot ← leichter

Ge-

This prefix is no longer ‘productive’, i.e. no new verbs are formed with ge-. The following verbs are common:

gebrauchen use gefallen please, like gehorchen obey

gehören

belong

genießen

enjoy geschehen happen

Miss-

Makes verbs from verbs with the meaning ‘opposite’, ‘wrongly’:

missachten ignore, despise misshandeln ill-treat ← achten ← handeln

Ver-

Makes verbs from verbs with the idea of finishing or going away:

verblühen

fade (finish flowering) verhungern starve to death

verklingen

fade away (finish sounding) ← blühen ← hungern ← klingen