Hot answers tagged prefixes
13
The prefix "er" is mostly used for a process that will cause a certain state. This states might be finite (for example, "ertrinken" and "erstechen" as well als "erschießen" will leave you dead...) or momentary.
Some examples for verbs that describe a process leading to a finite state:
erhalten - becoming owner of something
erstellen - building something
...
12
Both relate to hoch, although not quite literally. A wedding is a high time, a time of great joy; and Hochmut is a high (nowadays usually: too high) self-esteem. Mut means courage, but there is a older meaning (cf. Gemüt) that can be translated as frame of mind.
11
Grimms Wörterbuch says this:
g) von geschmuggelten waaren sagt man: schwarz herein (über die grenze) kommen, vielleicht weil man bei nacht zu schmuggeln pflegt (vgl. DWB schwärze, 'nacht' in der gaunersprache, s. dies), so dasz schwarz hier gewissermaszen prädicativisch im sinne von 'dunkel, in der dunkelheit' stände, oder weil die schmuggler sich das ...
9
The aggravating prefix "sau-" is considered as colloquial the most. You would not use it in other than a family or friends setting.
According to Duden it is classified as rather strong ("derb") when used with a negative connotation.
Therefore in most situations I recommend not to use it
9
It is not so much inappropriate, but it sounds pretty cheap.
"Saustark" and "saugut" are the most common forms to use "Sau-". In some commercial contexts you can hear "saugünstig".
The forms where it isn't appropriate are "saudoof", "saudumm" and other combinations... where it is used to say "dumb like a pig".
9
If you ask me, this is a terrible test, which does not help you to learn German.
It is nice to know, what the prefix "ver" means and how it changes the meaning of words. If you want to know that, you can have a look at the Duden entry or Takkat's answer in the other question.
But this knowledge does not help you to understand the meaning. You do not take ...
9
Das Grimmsche Wörterbuch zitiert belege für "stinkfaul" seit dem 17. Jahrhundert und gibt dafür die Bedeutung
so faul, dass er stinkt; stinkend faul
Bildungen wie "Stinkstiefel", "Stinkwut" und ähnliche sind moderne Bildungen vom Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts*, in denen die Vorsilbe "stink-" als negative Verstärkung funktioniert.
Offenbar ist die ...
9
As a rule, prefixes of separable verbs are words that can stand alone. You will find many prepositions among them.
Here, I think you misunderstood how exactly the veb "zumachen" works. "Zu" is -- among other meanings -- the German word for "closed". Unlike the English "closed", however, it is not the present perfect form of the word for "to close", ...
8
Aus dem Grimm:
11) mord in zusammensetzungen, als schelte für etwas äuszerst böses oder schlimmes, vergl. mordmähre, mordracker, mordschlag 2; sodann in verstärkungen, selbst derb lobenden, der volksmäszigen sprache, vgl. mordbrav, mordkerl, mordmäszig u. a., an den begriff des frevelhaften anknüpfend, wie ähnlich sündlich, verflucht gebraucht werden, ...
8
They are both correct, but have different meanings.
The a-word construction indicates a lack of word, whereas the anti-word construction indicates something against word.
In your example, something which is "achronological" is something without a time-based order. For example, I could say my notebook is achronological, as I write on random pages on random ...
8
"Über" has roughly the same meaning as the English word "over", but some uses are more metaphorical than others:
Übertragung (transmission): literally translates to "carrying it
over".
Überlegung (thought): thinking it over.
Überbevölkerung: overpopulation.
Übergenau: overly precise.
Überglücklich: overly happy.
For some reason, English speakers loaned ...
8
In case of a letter that may be a little too harsh or strongly worded there is a German equivalent:
In seinem Schreiben übte er scharfe Kritik an den gestrigen Beschlüssen.
Therefore a quite common verb for "tone down" or "softening" of a message would be:
"Können Sie Ihr Schreiben bitte ein wenig entschärfen?"
In case of a single argument we may ...
7
I would use abmildern: You could say Bitte mildere den Brief etwas ab or Du könntest den Brief abmildern.
You may also use abschwächen.
If the letter was very rude, you may also say Bitte mäßige dich im Ton. This would be a not so friendly and crude remark.
7
A pretty good rule of thumb is whether the word to be negated is a Fremdwort or not. Latin words are inverted with in-, Greek words are negated with a-, while typical German words are inverted with un-.
Examples:
Inexakt, indiskutabel, inakzeptabel, invariant, inoperabel
ungenau, unmöglich, unwohnlich, unbehaglich, unversehrt, unverletzt, unbeschädigt, ...
7
Im Deutschen Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm finden sich noch folgende Bedeutungen
UNTERGEBEN, v.:
a) in obhut, pflege geben
b) unterordnen
c) im kartenspiel eine niedrigere karte zugeben
d) veraltet als besitz oder eigenthum hingeben
7
We may get a clue on the purpose of the prefix er-, frequentliy used for conversion of verb-to-verb, noun-to-verb, or adjective-to-verb, when we look at the etymology or "er-" (loose translation by me):
The prefix er- is derived from a tonal weakening of the Old High German prefixes ur-, ar-, ir-, and er-, which mostly turned to er- in Middle High ...
7
(1) Any German grammar will explain the meaning and use of pre- and suffixes. Grammars differ in the underlying linguistic theory, so the explanations will differ. Do not refer to a learner's grammar, but go to a university library and find a comprehensive grammar of German. The last grammar I looked at that extensively explained suffixes was:
Engel, ...
7
Prefixation is a common way to change or further precise verb meanings.
According to this nice summary at Canoon.net we have
separable prefixes: verb and prefix are separated on inflection.
ab, an, auf, aus, bei, dar, ein, fehl, für, inne, los, nach, rück, vor, wieder, zu, zurecht, zwischen
inseparable prefixes: verb and prefix are not separated.
be, ...
7
In this special case (opened or closed doors, windows, etc.) this is rather common, though colloquial, as is zumachen itself. What happens here, is that zu has been made a predicative adjective or adverb (depending on your approach to word classes) – the same may happen to auf. You can even find constructions like eine zue Tür (a closed door; pronunciation: ...
6
Google kennt neben einem ersten Auftreten um 1650 das Wort ab 1750. Ab 1850 scheint es 'auszusterben'.
ngram zu untergeben/Untergebener
6
There is a most conclusive article on the etymology and usage of the prefix "ver-" in the
"Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen (nach Pfeifer)":
ver- Präfix bei Verben und zugehörigen Nomina [...].
Die Funktionen von ver- im Nhd. sind vielfältig; vor allem kennzeichnet es ein
Beseitigen, Wegschaffen, Aufbrauchen (verrücken, ...
6
"Canis" is Latin and means "dog". "Canina" (also Latin) means "general/common". I do not know why the Romans derived "general" from "dog", maybe because dogs are roaming and can be found everywhere, but they did.
You can see the usage in words like "Hunds-Rose (Rosa canina)". It's named that way, because it can be found everywhere. And things which can be ...
6
Für stocksteif hast du recht. Steif sein wie ein Stock (GRIMM)
Im Falle von stockfinster bezieht sich stock auf Stockhaus
stockfinster, adj. überaus finster, so dasz man keine hand vor augen sehen kann; eigentlich so finster, wie es im stock (4 f) stockhaus, gefängnisz ist; stockfinster wie im tiefsten gefängnisz, [...] (GRIMM)
Wie dort aber ...
6
Die Vorsilbe ent- wird in einigen Fällen vor f zu emp- angeglichen. ent- hat den gleichen indoeuropäischen Ursprung wie Griechisch "anti-" und Latein "ante". Du findest eine recht ausführliche Erklärung der Vorsilbe "ent-" aus dem Duden Universalwörterbuch hier.
Wie bei vielen anderen Vorsilben hat "ent-" so viele Bedeutungen, dass es kaum möglich ist aus ...
6
fehlen and empfehlen do not derive from the same base (fehlen).
The verb fehlen derives from the old form vælen or vēlen, which means to miss (a target). Empfehlen on the other hand derives from the verb fel(a)han, which means to sow or to entrust.
finden and empfinden do derive from finden, that's why they share the same conjugation.
5
Der Kluge (24. Aufl.) fördert einige weitere interessante Zusammenhänge zutage:
zynisch: (...) (16. Jh.) Entlehnt aus frz. cynique, dieses aus l. cynicus, eigentlich, aus gr. kynikós, zu gr. kYOn "Hund".
Zunächst Bezeichnung für eine Gruppe von Philosophen, die äußere
Anständigkeit bewußt mißachtete (die also wie die Hunde sind -
möglicherweise ...
5
While this is not an exact duplicate of What are the origin & possible meanings of the ver- prefix?, it adresses part of that original question, which has an excellent and exhaustive answer by Takkat.
Your article just phrases the categories differently:
A – eine Handlung bis zum Ende durchführen
B – von einem Ort weg
C – einen Fehler machen
D – in ...
5
I don't think those words really exist in German. At least I couldn't find them on duden.de. ;-)
The only context I found them (both) via Google was with CVs. So I guess its an Anglicism that came to Germany with the American style CVs recently. ;)
OregonGhost posted the correct translations in his comment. However, "antichronologisch" sounds wronger to my ...
5
I disagree with you that it doesn't change the meaning that much...
jemanden etwas lehren
means to teach something to somebody.
So you'd be building up new knowledge by teaching them.
Whereas
jemanden belehren
in most cases means that you're correcting somebody who thinks he knows, but is not really correct.
So you'd be straightening his facts.
...
5
There is a grammatical difference and a difference in meaning...
belehren
Belehren takes a person as a direct object in accusative case. If you want to include whatever is being taught that is done using the preposition über or hinsichtlich
Ich belehre den Mann über die Sache.
Belehren has a notion of completion... at least more than lehren has. ...
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