Lesson 5: Verbs with Prefixes

5.1 be-

The prefix be- on a verb means that we always need to know the subject, the verb, and the object of the sentence. Let's use bekommen as our first example.

bekommen

(Here combined with wieder (back): to get something back.)
Der Tourist bekommt seine gestohlene Armbanduhr wieder.
The tourist gets his stolen watch back.

Now we know that the tourist (the subject) gets back (the verb) his stolen watch (the object).

Let's look at a few more verbs with the be- prefix.

belegen

Fakten belegen ihre These.
Facts prove her theory.

benutzen

Die Krähe benutzt einen Dosendeckel als Snowboard.
The crow uses a tin can lid as a snowboard.

5.2 ent-

This is an awesome prefix! It always means to take something away, like einen LKW entladen is to remove the load from a semi truck. To unload it.

entkommen

Der Dieb ist der Polizei entkommen.
The thief evaded capture by police.

5.3 emp-

This prefix is used rarely, so all you need to do is simply learn the words that begin with emp-.

empfehlen

Die EU-Kommission empfiehlt Kandidatenstatus für die Ukraine.
The EU-Commission recommends Ukraine for candidate status.

5.4 er-

This prefix has two uses. The first is simply a prefix that's fairly plain. These verbs are straight-forward.

erleben

Leider erleben wir alle die wirtschaftlichen Kosten des Krieges.
Unfortunately, we are all experiencing the economic costs of the war [on Ukraine].

erzählen

Flüchtlinge erzählen von ihren Erfahrungen.
Refugees tell about their experiences.

The second use indicates an experience that is complete and irreversible, especially with verbs like erschießen, to shoot someone to death.

erschießen

Der ehemalige japanische Ministerpräsident Shinzo Abe wurde erschossen.
(In the past tense.) The former Japanese Minister President Shinzo Abe was shot dead.

5.5 ge-

The prefix ge- simply exists; it does not have a special meaning. It is good to know these verbs well, because later, when you learn the past tense, some verbs use a ge-prefix to form a certain verb form, and you'll need to keep these two groups of verbs separate in your mind.

gehören

Zu den Nachrichten gehören gute und schlechte Meldungen.
Good and bad stories are part of the news.

genehmigen

Das Gericht genehmigt den Antrag.
The court permits the request.

5.6 miss-

Miss- is an inherently negative prefix, because someone has been hurt or something has gone wrong.

missachten

Die Regierung missachtet die Menschenrechte.
The government neglects human rights.

missbrauchen

Die Bürgermeisterin missbraucht nie ihre Macht.
The Mayor never abuses her power.

missverstehen

Viele Leser missverstehen diese Geschichte.
Many readers misunderstand this story.

You'll also see miss- as a prefix on some nouns used in the news like das Missgeschick, a misadventure, or der Missbrauch, abuse or malpractice.

5.6 ver-

Ver- has several different meanings, including making something change, and sometimes ver- means nothing and is simply a prefix.

verändern

Die öffentliche Meinung verändert sich gerade.
The public opinion is currently changing.

verbringen

Der Papst verbringt sechs Tage in Kanada.
The Pope spends six days in Canada.

verringern

Europa verringert die Abhängigkeit von russischen fossilen Brennstoffen.
Europe reduces its dependency on Russian fossil fuels.

verteidigen

Wir verteidigen Europa und die europäischen Werte.
We defend Europe and European values.

5.7 zer-

The prefix zer- indicates that something has been taken apart, ruined, or broken into pieces. Whether it's been destroyed or ripped to shreds, whatever was ruined can't be used any more.

zerstören

Der Krieg in der Ukraine zerstört viele Gebäude und Wohnhäuser.
The war in Ukraine destroys many buildings and residences.