Inseparable Prefixes: be- / ver- / er- / ent- / zer-

Prefixes That Never Separate: Be-, Ver-, Er-, Ent-, Zer-

Level 3

Be-, ver-, er-, ent- and zer- stay stuck to the verb: Ech verstinn dech. Their participle has no ge-: Ech hunn d'Rechnung bezuelt.

How It Works

1. The five prefixes

  • be-: bezuelen (to pay), besichen (to visit), bestellen (to order)
  • ver-: verstoen (to understand), verkafen (to sell), vergiessen (to forget)
  • er-: erzielen (to tell), erklären (to explain), erwaarden (to expect)
  • ent-: entwéckelen (to develop), entdecken (to discover), entscheeden (to decide)
  • zer-: zerbriechen (to break apart), zerstéieren (to destroy)

2. They never separate
Compare a separable verb: Ech fänken un (ufänken). With these prefixes the verb stays in one piece: Ech verstinn dech. Hie bezilt d'Rechnung. Some of these verbs change their vowel like other verbs: ech bezuelen, du bezils, hie bezilt.

3. No ge- in the participle
Because the first syllable is unstressed, there is no ge-: bezuelt, besicht, verstanen, erzielt, erkläert, entwéckelt, zerbrach. Some are irregular, so check them in the dictionary: verstoen → verstanen, bestellen → bestallt, verléieren → verluer. See Participles Without Ge-.

4. With ze
Ze stands in front as a separate word: Et ass net einfach, dat ze verstoen. Compare the separable verb: unzefänken. See Ze Inside Separable Verbs.

5. Other prefixes that stay attached
ge- works the same way: gefalen → gefall, gehéieren → gehéiert. Some verbs with iwwer- do too: iwwersetzen (to translate) → iwwersat.

6. With a separable prefix in front
A separable prefix can be added before an inseparable one. The first prefix separates, and the participle still has no ge-: Ech bezuelen den Auto of → Ech hunn den Auto ofbezuelt.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech hunn d'Rechnung bezuelt.

    I paid the bill.

    Bezuelen has no ge- in the participle.

  2. Ech verstinn dech.

    I understand you.

    The prefix ver- stays attached in the present tense.

  3. Mäi Bopa erzielt gär Geschichten.

    My grandpa likes telling stories.

  4. D'Glas ass zerbrach.

    The glass has broken.

    Without an object, zerbriechen forms the perfect with sinn; the participle is zerbrach.

  5. Hues du d'Geschicht verstanen?

    Did you understand the story?

    Verstanen is irregular and has no ge-.

  6. Et ass net einfach, dat ze verstoen.

    It isn't easy to understand that.

    Ze stays in front as a separate word.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding ge- to the participle.

    Ech hunn d'Rechnung gebezuelt.
    Ech hunn d'Rechnung bezuelt.

    Verbs with be-, ver-, er-, ent- and zer- never take ge-.

  • Separating the prefix like a separable verb.

    Ech stinn dech ver.
    Ech verstinn dech.

    These prefixes never move to the end of the clause.

  • Putting ze inside the verb.

    Et ass net einfach, dat zeverstoen.
    Et ass net einfach, dat ze verstoen.

    Only separable verbs take ze inside. With an inseparable prefix, ze stands in front as a separate word.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Inseparable Prefixes: be- / ver- / er- / ent- / zer-Level 3Prefixes That Never Separate: Be-, Ver-, Er-, Ent-, Zer-

Learn This First

Before Prefixes That Never Separate: Be-, Ver-, Er-, Ent-, Zer-, learn Participles of Separable Verbs and Participles Without Ge-.

Words in This Pattern

be-