Separable Verbs in German Main & Sub Clauses

Separable verbs don't always split apart — and knowing when they do (and don't) is the difference between a sentence that sounds right and one that doesn't. This lesson builds on the basics of trennbare Verben by showing how they behave differently in a Hauptsatz (main clause), a Nebensatz (subordinate clause), and alongside a modal verb. Separable Verbs in the Hauptsatz In a straightforward main clause, the rule from Part 1 applies directly: the base verb is conjugated in second position, and the prefix is pushed to the very end of the clause. 'Er ruft mich morgen an' (He's calling me tomorrow) keeps 'anrufen' split around the rest of the sentence. Separable Verbs in the Nebensatz Inside a subordinate clause, everything changes: the verb moves to the end of the clause, and — importantly — the prefix and the verb reunite right there, written as one word. 'Ich weiß, dass er mich morgen anruft' keeps 'anruft' whole at the end, instead of splitting it the way a main clause would. Separable Verbs with Modal Verbs When a separable verb is paired with a modal verb like 'können' or 'müssen', the modal verb takes the conjugated second position, and the separable verb goes to the end of the clause in its infinitive form — unsplit. 'Ich muss ihn morgen anrufen' keeps 'anrufen' together at the end, with 'muss' doing the conjugating work. Frequently Asked Questions Do separable verbs always split apart? No — they only split in a straightforward main clause. In a subordinate clause or alongside a modal verb, the prefix and verb stay together, usually at the end of the clause. What happens to a separable verb in a subordinate clause? The whole verb — prefix and base verb together — moves to the very end of the clause as one word, instead of splitting the way it would in a main clause. How do separable verbs work with modal verbs? The modal verb gets conjugated and takes the second position, while the separable verb goes to the end of the clause in its unsplit infinitive form. Is 'anrufen' split or whole in 'Ich muss ihn morgen anrufen'? It stays whole — because 'muss' is the conjugated modal verb doing the work, 'anrufen' appears at the end of the clause in its full infinitive form. Why does this matter for sounding natural in German? Mixing up when to split a separable verb and when to keep it whole is a very common beginner mistake, and getting it right is one of the clearest signs of a solid grasp of German sentence structure.

Want the full picture of German sentence structure? Our A1 German course ties Hauptsatz, Nebensatz and everything in between together. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do separable verbs always split apart?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No — they only split in a straightforward main clause. In a subordinate clause or alongside a modal verb, the prefix and verb stay together, usually at the end of the clause." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happens to a separable verb in a subordinate clause?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The whole verb — prefix and base verb together — moves to the very end of the clause as one word, instead of splitting the way it would in a main clause." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do separable verbs work with modal verbs?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The modal verb gets conjugated and takes the second position, while the separable verb goes to the end of the clause in its unsplit infinitive form." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is 'anrufen' split or whole in 'Ich muss ihn morgen anrufen'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It stays whole — because 'muss' is the conjugated modal verb doing the work, 'anrufen' appears at the end of the clause in its full infinitive form." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why does this matter for sounding natural in German?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Mixing up when to split a separable verb and when to keep it whole is a very common beginner mistake, and getting it right is one of the clearest signs of a solid grasp of German sentence structure." } } ] }