Noun position & separable verbs in German

German verbs are positioned and frequently split, which is another feature that makes it unique. There are also a few general guidelines to follow in this situation. The verb typically comes in the second place in simple sentences (i.e., sentences with just one clause) that are statements; it usually comes in the first position in simple sentences that are yes-or-no questions. But in a subordinate phrase, the verb is always at the end, and if a modal verb is present, it will be the last word.

Due to this, it’s possible that you wait for the verb to understand what someone is saying and that by the time you do, you’ve virtually forgotten what the rest of the sentence was about! On the other hand, it lends German a particular rhythmic quality and makes understanding sentence construction relatively simple.

Separable verbs, or trennbare verben as they are known in German, are more difficult. These verbs have a prefix connected to them in their infinitive form that separates when they are conjugated. The prefix is frequently dropped somewhere after the verb, usually once more at the end of a phrase, which is what makes them hard. These verbs are comparable to English phrasal verbs, which are challenging for speakers of English as a second language but a little harder because there is typically greater space between their parts, making it simple to forget to finish them.