German conjugation explanation

Two answer boxes (split verb forms)

<p>Some German conjugation exercises ask for a <strong>single verb form</strong> but give you <strong>two answer boxes</strong>. Don't worry: you are still typing one verb form. German simply <strong>splits</strong> that verb into two pieces and puts other words in between, so each piece needs its own box.</p> <p class="conjugation_explanation_title">Why German splits the verb</p> <p>In a normal German main clause the conjugated verb has to come in <strong>second position</strong>. If the verb form has a second piece (a past participle, an infinitive or a separable prefix), that piece is sent all the way to the <strong>end of the clause</strong>. Everything else (objects, time, place, adverbs) sits in the gap between them. Those two fixed slots are called the <em>Satzklammer</em>, the "sentence bracket", and they are the reason one verb can end up in two different places. It happens in the two situations below.</p> <p class="conjugation_explanation_title">Situation 1: separable-prefix verbs</p> <p>Many everyday verbs are made of a prefix plus a base verb, for example

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/aufstehen/" title="Click to see conjugations for aufstehen" target="_blank">aufstehen</a>

(<em>auf</em> + <em>stehen</em>, "to get up") or

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/ankommen/" title="Click to see conjugations for ankommen" target="_blank">ankommen</a>

(<em>an</em> + <em>kommen</em>, "to arrive"). In a main clause the prefix <strong>breaks off</strong> and jumps to the end, while the conjugated base stays in second position.</p> <div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ich <strong>stehe</strong> jeden Morgen früh <strong>auf</strong>.</div> <p class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">"I get up early every morning." The verb is <em>aufstehen</em>: type <strong>stehe</strong> in the first box and the prefix <strong>auf</strong> in the second. The words <em>jeden Morgen früh</em> are already in the sentence.</p> <p class="conjugation_explanation_title">Situation 2: compound tenses</p> <p>The compound tenses (the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/52/" target="_blank">Perfekt</a>

,

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/98/" target="_blank">Plusquamperfekt</a>

,

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/100/" target="_blank">Futur I</a>

and so on) are built from a helper verb plus a second form. The helper verb (

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/haben/" title="Click to see conjugations for haben" target="_blank">haben</a>

,

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/sein/" title="Click to see conjugations for sein" target="_blank">sein</a>

or

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/werden/" title="Click to see conjugations for werden" target="_blank">werden</a>

) is conjugated and stays in second position, while the past participle or infinitive moves to the end of the clause.</p> <div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Du <strong>bist</strong> um fünf Uhr <strong>gekommen</strong>.</div> <p class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">"You came at five o'clock." This is the Perfekt of

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ger/kommen/" title="Click to see conjugations for kommen" target="_blank">kommen</a>

: type the helper <strong>bist</strong> in the first box and the participle <strong>gekommen</strong> in the second.</p> <p class="conjugation_explanation_title">What the [...] means</p> <p>On the solution screen the full answer is shown with <strong>[...]</strong> in the middle, for example <strong>bist [...] gekommen</strong>. You <strong>never type</strong> the [...]; it only marks the gap between the two boxes. Put everything before it in the first box and everything after it in the second box, and leave the words in the gap alone, because they are already printed in the sentence.</p> <p class="conjugation_explanation_title">How to answer, step by step</p> <ul> <li>Work out the complete verb form as usual, for example <em>bist gekommen</em> or <em>stehe ... auf</em>.</li> <li>Look at the two boxes in the sentence and read the word order.</li> <li>Put the part that comes <strong>first</strong> (the conjugated verb or base) in the first box.</li> <li>Put the part that comes <strong>last</strong> (the participle, infinitive or prefix) in the second box.</li> <li>Leave the words printed between the boxes; you do not retype them.</li> </ul>