German · Chapter 2 · Lesson 15 · Grammar primer
Separable verbs: the prefix jumps to the end
Anrufen becomes Ich rufe dich an. The little word on the front of the verb splits off and waits at the end of the sentence.
The short version
Separable verbs: the prefix always goes last
A verb like anrufen splits in a main clause. The stem takes second place, as any German verb does, and the prefix jumps to the very end of the sentence, however much sits in between. Listen for the last word before you decide what the verb was: the prefix is where the meaning lands.
Ich rufe meine Mutter heute Abend an.
After a modal, the verb stays in one piece
The split only happens to the conjugated verb. When a modal such as müssen or wollen takes second place, the separable verb becomes an infinitive and sits whole at the end, prefix and all. So aufstehen splits in Ich stehe auf, but not in Ich muss aufstehen.
Ich muss früh aufstehen.
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Lesson 15 of 24 in this chapter