Separable Verbs is the forty-sixth skill (assuming read left to right) in the language tree for Dutch. It has four lessons and teaches a set of verbs that are broken up (or separated) into two parts.
Grammar Notes[]
Separable Verbs[]
Separable verbs are relatively common in Dutch, and they come with a few rules. On this wiki, separable verbs will be indicated with a "|" between the two parts of the verb.
There are three ways that a separable verb can appear: in a finite tense, an infinite tense, and as a past participle.
Finite[]
This is when a verb gets conjugated. If you conjugate a separable verb, you need to break off the first part of the verb (the prefix) and put it at the end of the phrase:
- Ik raak je niet aan = I am not touching you (from aan|raken)
The exception is when the verb is in a subordinate clause introduced in Conjunctions 2. If this is the case, the verb is not broken in two, but stays together as a unit:
- Ik wil, dat je mij niet aanraakt. = I don't want you to touch me.
Infinite[]
This verb form is when the verb is not conjugated. This is the way the verbs are introduced in the "Lessons" section below. The verb parts are kept together as one word:
- Ik wil je niet aanraken. = I don't want to touch you.
An exception is when you are using the te + infinitive construction, which is in the next skill. In that case, the two parts are separated with the te placed between them.
Past Participle[]
With this tense, the verb parts are still together in the same word, but the ge- that normally comes at the beginning of the participle is instead placed between the two parts of the verb:
- Ik heb jou aangeraakt. = I touched you.
Lessons[]
Lesson 1[]
- op|staan = to stand up
- uit|gaan = to go out
- neer|zetten = to put (something) down
- op|schrijven = to write out (something)
- in|vullen = to fill (something) in
- weg|gaan = to go away
Lesson 2[]
- mee|nemen = to take with
- aan|komen = to arrive
- tegen|komen = to meet
- af|spreken = to agree on (something)
- op|houden = to stop (doing something)
- voor|lezen = to read aloud
Lesson 3[]
- mee|doen = to join/to work with/to participate
- om|vallen = to fall over
- vast|houden = to hold onto (something)
- los|laten = to let (something) go
- door|gaan = to continue
- na|denken = to think (the process)
Lesson 4[]
- uit|leggen = to explain
- op|halen = to pick up (someone or something)
- terug|keren = to return
- toe|voegen = to add (something)
- samen|werken = to cooperate
- aan|raken = to touch
References[]
Duolingo Lesson: www.duolingo.com/skill/dn/Separable-Verbs