ze Inside Separable Verbs

Level 3

op + ze + stoen = opzestoen. With a separable verb, ze goes in the middle, all in one word: Hues du Loscht matzekommen?

How It Works

When a separable verb needs ze, ze does not go in front. It goes between the prefix and the verb, and everything is written as one word:

  • opstoen → opzestoen: Et ass haart, all Moien um véier Auer opzestoen!
  • matkommen → matzekommen: Hues du Loscht matzekommen?
  • ufänken → unzefänken: Ech hunn e Briquet, fir d'Käerzen unzefänken.
  • uruffen → unzeruffen, ausknipsen → auszeknipsen, zeréckkommen → zeréckzekommen

This is the same place where ge- goes in the participle: opgestanen, opzestoen. See separable participles.

Un- and an- before ze. By the n-rule the prefixes un- and an- keep their n before z, so the ze form has the full prefix: unzefänken, anzemaachen. This is different from the infinitive, where they lose it: ufänken. See u- and a- prefixes.

Spelling. The official spelling writes the whole thing as one word, and ze keeps its e even before a vowel: matzeiessen, erëmzeerzielen.

Verbs that do not separate. Verbs with a prefix that never splits off, like verstoen or bezuelen, keep ze as a separate word in front: ze verstoen, ze bezuelen. So do verbs with no prefix at all, such as reparéieren: ze reparéieren. A separable verb in -éieren still puts ze in the middle: ausprobéieren → auszeprobéieren. See inseparable prefixes.

Examples (6)

  1. Hues du Loscht matzekommen?

    Do you feel like coming along?

    Matkommen puts ze in the middle.

  2. Et ass haart, all Moien um véier Auer opzestoen!

    It's hard to get up at four o'clock every morning!

    Opstoen becomes opzestoen.

  3. Vergiess net, d'Luucht am Büro auszeknipsen!

    Don't forget to switch off the light in the office!

    Ausknipsen becomes auszeknipsen.

  4. Ech hunn e Briquet, fir d'Käerzen unzefänken.

    I have a lighter to light the candles.

    Un- keeps its n before ze.

  5. Du brauchs net zeréckzekommen.

    You don't need to come back.

    Zeréckkommen becomes zeréckzekommen.

  6. Et ass net einfach, all Dag fréi opzestoen.

    It isn't easy to get up early every day.

    The details come before the one-word ze form.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting ze in front of the whole verb.

    Hues du Loscht ze matkommen?
    Hues du Loscht matzekommen?

    With a separable verb, ze goes between the prefix and the verb.

  • Writing the parts as separate words.

    Et ass haart, fréi op ze stoen.
    Et ass haart, fréi opzestoen.

    The prefix, ze and the verb are written together as one word.

  • Dropping the n of un- before ze.

    Ech hunn e Briquet, fir d'Käerzen uzefänken.
    Ech hunn e Briquet, fir d'Käerzen unzefänken.

    The n-rule keeps n before z, so the prefix is written in full: unzefänken.

How It Connects

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

ze Inside Separable VerbsLevel 3

Learn This First

Before Ze Inside Separable Verbs, learn The Infinitive With Ze and Separable Verbs.

Words in This Pattern

ze