Session 5 — Separable Verbs, Imperative & W-Fragen
Tuesday, 30 June 2026 · with Sabahat Batool
New grammar words today? “Separable verb”, “imperative”, “main/subordinate clause” — if any of these are fuzzy,
each section starts with a plain-English explainer, and the Cases map page goes deeper.
Part 1 · Trennbare Verben — verbs that split in two
Plain English: some German verbs are two LEGO pieces: a small prefix + a base verb.
auf|stehen = up + stand = to get up. When you use the verb in a normal sentence,
the prefix pops off and moves to the very END of the sentence.
aufstehen → Ich stehe früh auf.
to get up → I get up early.
einkaufen → Wir kaufen am Samstag ein.
to shop → We go shopping on Saturday.
Today's separable verbs — memorize meaning + prefix
| Verb | Meaning | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| aufstehen | to get up | Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. |
| einladen | to invite | Er lädt seine Freunde ein. |
| einkaufen | to shop | Sie kauft im Supermarkt ein. |
| abholen | to pick up (someone) | Er holt seine Freundin ab. |
| anfangen | to begin | Ich fange die Arbeit an. |
| ankommen | to arrive | Der Zug kommt um 9 Uhr an. |
| umsteigen | to change (trains/buses) | Wir steigen in München um. |
| mitkommen | to come along | Kommst du mit? |
| mitnehmen | to take along | Ich nehme das Buch mit. |
| zurückfahren | to drive/travel back | Wir fahren am Sonntag zurück. |
| aussteigen | to get off/out | Ich steige hier aus. |
| fernsehen (bonus — not from class) | to watch TV | Er sieht abends fern. |
Watch out: the base verb still conjugates normally, including vowel changes:
einladen → er lädt … ein, fernsehen → er sieht … fern.
Split the prefix first, then conjugate the base like any strong verb.
Part 2 · Hauptsatz vs Nebensatz — where does the verb go?
Plain English: a Hauptsatz (main clause) is a normal standalone sentence — verb in position 2.
A Nebensatz (subordinate clause) is attached with a connector like weil (because) —
and inside it, the verb is kicked to the very END, and the separable verb snaps back together there.
Hauptsatz: Ich stehe früh auf.
Main clause: I get up early. (prefix at end, verb still position 2)
Nebensatz: …, weil ich früh aufstehe.
…because I get up early. (whole verb reunited at the end!)
A1 takeaway: und, aber, oder (and, but, or) = connectors that change NOTHING.
weil, dass, wenn = connectors that send the verb to the end. Recognize it now, master it at A2.
Part 3 · Separable verbs + modal verbs
Plain English: a modal verb (müssen, können, wollen…) takes position 2, and the whole action verb
goes to the end as an infinitive. Since the infinitive is the unsplit dictionary form, the separable verb does
NOT split — the LEGO stays together.
Du musst mitkommen.
You must come along. (mitkommen stays whole)
Wir müssen in Hannover umsteigen.
We have to change trains in Hannover.
Meine Kinder wollen auch mitkommen.
My children want to come along too.
Decision rule: Is there a modal (or weil)? → verb stays in ONE piece at the end.
No modal, normal sentence? → prefix alone flies to the end.
Part 4 · Der Imperativ — giving commands
Plain English: the imperative is the command form: “Come! Repeat! Help me!”
German has three flavors, depending on who you're talking to. This is only used in speaking/writing directly TO someone.
| To whom | How to build | kommen | nehmen | sein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sie (polite) | infinitive + Sie | Kommen Sie! | Nehmen Sie! | Seien Sie! |
| du (one friend) | du-form − st, − du | Komm! | Nimm! | Sei! |
| ihr (friends) | ihr-form, − ihr | Kommt! | Nehmt! | Seid! |
Irregular du-commands keep their vowel change
| Verb | du-command | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nehmen | Nimm! | take! |
| geben | Gib! | give! |
| lesen | Lies! | read! |
| sprechen | Sprich! | speak! |
| essen | Iss! | eat! |
| haben | Hab! | have! (Hab keine Angst — don't be afraid) |
| fahren | Fahr! | drive! (a→ä verbs DROP the umlaut in commands) |
Separable verbs in commands — prefix goes last again
Kommen Sie mit! · Komm mit! · Kommt mit!
Come along! (polite / one friend / several friends)
Softeners: mal & doch
mal and doch don't translate directly — they make a command friendly or add
emphasis, like English “just / come on”:
Hilf mir mal! (just help me a sec) · Hilf mir doch mal! (come ON, help me!).
Spoken German loves these; you'll rarely write them.
Classroom commands — you hear these every session
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wiederholen Sie bitte! | Please repeat! |
| Lesen Sie den Text! | Read the text! |
| Schreiben Sie einen Text! | Write a text! |
| Spielen Sie den Dialog! | Act out the dialogue! |
| Erklären Sie das Wort! | Explain the word! |
| Geben Sie ein Beispiel! | Give an example! |
| Diskutieren Sie in der Gruppe! | Discuss in the group! |
| Sprechen Sie bitte lauter! | Please speak louder! |
Part 5 · W-Fragen — question words drilled
Plain English: W-questions start with a question word (who/what/where…), the verb comes second.
Today's drill was matching the right W-word to the answer.
| Question | Meaning | Typical answer |
|---|---|---|
| Wie heißen Sie? | What's your name? | Ich heiße Saif. |
| Woher kommen Sie? | Where are you from? | Ich komme aus Pakistan. |
| Wo wohnen Sie? | Where do you live? | Ich wohne in Berlin. |
| Was sind Sie von Beruf? | What's your job? | Ich bin Softwareentwickler. |
| Was ist das? | What is that? | Das ist mein Handy. |
| Wie viel kostet das? | How much does it cost? | Das kostet zehn Euro. |
| Wie viele Kinder haben Sie? | How many children do you have? | Ich habe zwei Kinder. |
| Mit wem lernst du? | With whom do you study? | Mit meiner Lehrerin. |
wie viel vs wie viele: countable one-by-one (children, euros as coins) → wie viele.
A mass you can't count (money in general, time, water) → wie viel. Same logic as English many/much.
Session 5 recap
If you remember only 5 things
- Separable prefix flies to the END: Ich stehe früh auf.
- With a modal, the verb stays WHOLE at the end: Du musst mitkommen.
- After weil, ALL verb parts go to the end, reunited.
- Commands: Kommen Sie! / Komm! / Kommt! — irregulars keep e→i: Nimm! Gib! Lies! Sprich!
- wie viele = countable, wie viel = uncountable.
Source: sessions/2026-06-30-tue — transcript, session summary and English notes.