Separable Verbs Join Up at the End

Level 3

Main clause: De Film fänkt un. Subordinate clause: ..., wéini de Film ufänkt. At the end of the clause, prefix and verb are one word.

How It Works

In a main clause, a separable verb splits: the verb takes second place and the prefix goes to the end:

  • De Film fänkt um aacht Auer un. (The film starts at eight.)
  • Ech stinn all Dag fréi op. (I get up early every day.)

In a subordinate clause, the conjugated verb goes to the end too (verb at the end). Now the verb and its prefix meet, and they are written as one word again, with the prefix first:

  • Ech weess net, wéini de Film ufänkt. (I don't know when the film starts.)
  • Ech si midd, well ech fréi opstinn. (I'm tired because I get up early.)

The verb keeps the same form it has in a main clause, vowel changes included: du kënns mat becomes ob s de matkënns.

Spelling. The official spelling joins the prefix to the verb whenever the verb stands at the end of a subordinate clause. The prefixes un- and an- follow the n-rule, so they are written u- and a- before most consonants: ufänkt, akeeft. See u- and a- prefixes.

With other verbs. If the clause also has a modal verb or a perfect, the separable verb stays as one word, as an infinitive or a participle: well ech muer fréi muss opstoen (modals in subordinate clauses), datt den Zuch scho fortgefuer ass (separable participles).

Examples (6)

  1. Ech weess net, wéini de Film ufänkt.

    I don't know when the film starts.

    Fänkt ... un becomes ufänkt at the end.

  2. Ech si midd, well ech fréi opstinn.

    I'm tired because I get up early.

    Stinn ... op becomes opstinn.

  3. Ass dat ok, wann ech haut e bëssen éischter heemginn?

    Is it OK if I go home a bit earlier today?

    Heemgoen: ginn, the ech form of goen, joins heem again.

  4. Ruff mech un, wann s de ukënns.

    Call me when you arrive.

    The main clause splits ruff ... un, but the wann clause joins ukënns.

  5. Ech froe mech, ob hatt muer matkënnt.

    I wonder whether she is coming along tomorrow.

    Matkommen keeps its vowel change: matkënnt.

  6. Si seet, datt den Zuch scho fortgefuer ass.

    She says the train has already left.

    In the perfect, the participle fortgefuer is one word and ass comes last.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the prefix split in a subordinate clause.

    Ech weess net, wéini de Film fänkt un.
    Ech weess net, wéini de Film ufänkt.

    In a subordinate clause the verb moves to the end, where it joins its prefix.

  • Writing the prefix and the verb as two words.

    Ech si midd, well ech fréi op stinn.
    Ech si midd, well ech fréi opstinn.

    At the end of a subordinate clause, the prefix and the verb are written as one word.

  • Forgetting the n-rule on the prefix un-.

    Ech weess net, wéini de Film unfänkt.
    Ech weess net, wéini de Film ufänkt.

    Un- loses its n before f, so the joined form is ufänkt.

How It Connects

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Separable Verbs Join Up at the EndLevel 3

Learn This First

Before Separable Verbs Join Up at the End, learn Separable Verbs and The Verb at the End of Subordinate Clauses.

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Patterns that build on this one.