The trickiest part of Separable Verbs (Trennbare Verben) isn’t the verb itself—it’s knowing where the prefix goes when the tense changes. Does it stay at the end? Does it merge back? Does a “ge-” get squeezed in the middle?
Here is the definitive guide to the word order of separable verbs in the three most common German tenses.
1. The Present Tense (Präsens)
In a standard main clause, the verb splits. The Base Verb takes Position 2 (and is conjugated), while the Prefix travels to the very end of the sentence.
- Verb: aufstehen (to get up)
- Rule: Base Verb (Pos 2) … Prefix (End)
- Example: “Ich stehe jeden Morgen um 6 Uhr auf.”
2. The Present Perfect (Perfekt)
This is where most learners get confused. In the Perfekt tense, the verb does not split into two different parts of the sentence. Instead, the prefix stays attached, and the “-ge-” marker is sandwiched in the middle.
- Formula: Prefix + ge + Base Verb (Participle)
- Example: einkaufen -> eingekauft
- Sentence: “Ich habe gestern eingekauft.” (The whole word goes to the end).
| Verb | Infinitive | Past Participle (Perfekt) |
| anrufen | to call | angerufen |
| aufmachen | to open | aufgemacht |
| ausgehen | to go out | ausgegangen |
3. The Simple Past (Präteritum)
The Präteritum follows the same logic as the Present tense: The verb splits. The only difference is that the base verb is conjugated in the past form.
- Example: “Er machte das Fenster auf.” (He opened the window.)
- Logic: Machte (Past of machen) in Pos 2, auf at the end.
4. With Modal Verbs (können, müssen, wollen)
When a modal verb enters the sentence, it takes the “conjugated” spot in Position 2. Because there can only be one conjugated verb, the separable verb moves to the end in its Infinitive (whole) form.
- Rule: No splitting!
- Example: “Ich muss heute aufräumen.” (I must tidy up.)
- Comparison: * Ich räume auf. (Present – Splits)
- Ich will aufräumen. (With Modal – Stays Together)
Summary Table: Prefix Movement
| Tense / Structure | Does it Split? | Position of Prefix | Example |
| Present | Yes | Very End | Ich rufe dich an. |
| Perfekt | No | Inside the verb | Ich habe angerufen. |
| Modal Verbs | No | Attached to verb | Ich kann anrufen. |
| Subordinate (weil) | No | Attached to verb | …weil ich anrufe. |
Final Thoughts
The rule of thumb is simple: If the separable verb is the only verb in a main clause, it splits. If there is another verb (like haben, sein, or a modal) helping out, the separable verb usually stays together at the end.
Next Step: Ready to practice these tenses? Check out our List of Common Separable Verbs with Examples to build your own sentences!