Separable verb
A separable verb is a verb that is composed of a verb stem and a separable affix. In some verb forms, the verb appears in one word, whilst in others the verb stem and the affix are separated. German, Dutch, and Hungarian are notable for having many separable verbs.
For example, the Dutch verb aankomen is a separable verb. Compare the following sentences:
- Hij is aangekomen. — He has arrived.
- Ik kom morgen aan — I shall arrive tomorrow.
In the second sentence, the Dutch infinitive aankomen is separated.
In German:
- Er ist angekommen. — He has arrived.
- Ich komme morgen an — I shall arrive tomorrow.
The German infinitive is ankommen and is separated.
Some Hungarian examples:
- Leteszem a telefont. — I hang up the phone.
- Nem teszem le a telefont. — I do not hang up the phone.
The verb letesz is separated in the negative sentence. Affixes are separated from the verb in imperative and prohibitive moods, too. Moreover, word order influences the strength of prohibition, as the following examples show:
- Ne tedd le a telefont! — Do not hang up the phone.
- Le ne tedd a telefont! — Don't you hang up the phone! (stronger prohibition)
English has many phrasal or compound verb forms that act in this way, some of which are also separable ("they let the man through at the barrier"). For example, the adverb (or adverbial particle) up in the phrasal verb to screw up can appear after the direct object ("things") in the sentence: "He is always screwing things up".
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