This lesson teaches the Partizip II of German untrennbare Verben like beantragen, entscheiden, and verstehen, highlighting that these verbs form the past participle without the prefix "ge-" (e.g., ich habe beantragt, entschieden, verstanden).
  1. The ending "-t" is added to the verb stem for regular verbs or "-en" for irregular verbs.
beantragen (to apply)entscheiden (to decide)verstehen (to understand)
ich habe beantragt (I have applied)ich habe entschieden (I have decided)ich habe verstanden (I have understood)
du hast beantragt (you have applied)du hast entschieden (you have decided)du hast verstanden (you have understood)
er/sie/es hat beantragt (he/she/it has applied)er/sie/es hat entschieden (he/she/it has decided)er/sie/es hat verstanden (he/she/it has understood)
wir haben beantragt (we have applied)wir haben entschieden (we have decided)wir haben verstanden (we have understood)
ihr habt beantragt (you have applied)ihr habt entschieden (you have decided)ihr habt verstanden (you have understood)
sie haben beantragt (they have applied)sie haben entschieden (they have decided)sie haben verstanden (they have understood)

Exceptions!

  1. Inseparable verbs never have the prefix "ge-" in the Partizip II.

Exercise 1: Partizip II mit untrennbaren Verben: „beantragt, entschieden"

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

eingereicht, überlebt, verstanden, beantragt, missverstanden, entschieden

1. Einreichen:
Ich habe gestern meinen Antrag bei der Behörde ....
(Ich habe gestern meinen Antrag bei der Behörde eingereicht.)
2. Einreichen:
Ich habe meine Unterlagen an das Amt ...
(Ich habe meine Unterlagen an das Amt eingereicht)
3. überleben:
Die Firma hat den Crash ....
(Die Firma hat den Crash überlebt.)
4. Entscheiden:
Die Firma hat alles alleine ....
(Die Firma hat alles alleine entschieden.)
5. Missverstehen:
Ich habe das Dokument ....
(Ich habe das Dokument missverstanden.)
6. Beantragen:
Er hat seine Arbeitserlaubnis pünktlich ...
(Er hat seine Arbeitserlaubnis pünktlich beantragt)
7. Beantragen:
Sie hat das Formular bei der Behörde ...
(Sie hat das Formular bei der Behörde beantragt)
8. Verstehen:
Wir haben das Dokument rechtzeitig ...
(Wir haben das Dokument rechtzeitig verstanden)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Select the correct phrase with the right past participle (Partizip II) for inseparable verbs in each sentence.

1.
Inseparable verbs do not get the prefix "ge-" in the past participle. This form is therefore incorrect.
The past participle does not end with "-tet", only with "-t".
2.
The past participle does not end with an additional "-et".
Inseparable verbs do not receive the prefix "ge-" in the past participle, so this form is incorrect.
3.
The past participle of "verstehen" is "verstanden"; the form "verstandet" does not exist.
Inseparable verbs do not use the prefix "ge-" in the past participle, so this form is incorrect.
4.
Inseparable verbs do not get the prefix "ge-" in the past participle; this form is therefore incorrect.
The past participle does not end with "-et", but with "-en".

Understanding Partizip II with Unseparable Verbs: „beantragt, entschieden"

This lesson focuses on the formation and use of the past participle (Partizip II) of unseparable (untrennbare) German verbs such as "beantragen" (to apply), "entscheiden" (to decide), and "verstehen" (to understand). These verbs differ from separable verbs in how their Partizip II is formed.

Key Characteristics of Unseparable Verbs in Partizip II

  • No "ge-" Prefix: Unlike separable verbs, unseparable verbs do not add "ge-" at the beginning of their Partizip II form.
  • Ending: For regular verbs, the ending is usually "-t"; for irregular ones, it is "-en".
  • Examples: "beantragen" becomes "beantragt"; "entscheiden" becomes "entschieden"; "verstehen" becomes "verstanden".

Conjugation Pattern of Selected Verbs in Present Perfect

The table below shows the conjugation of these verbs in the present perfect tense (Perfekt), emphasizing the Partizip II form with the auxiliary verb "haben":

beantragenentscheidenverstehen
ich habe beantragtich habe entschiedenich habe verstanden
du hast beantragtdu hast entschiedendu hast verstanden
er/sie/es hat beantragter/sie/es hat entschiedener/sie/es hat verstanden
wir haben beantragtwir haben entschiedenwir haben verstanden
ihr habt beantragtihr habt entschiedenihr habt verstanden
sie haben beantragtsie haben entschiedensie haben verstanden

Important Notes on Usage and Formation

  • The past participle is used mainly in perfect tenses and the passive voice.
  • Remember that adding "ge-" to unseparable verbs in Partizip II is incorrect.
  • Pay attention to verb endings to distinguish regular from irregular verbs.

Comparison to English

In English, past participles often add "-ed" or are irregular, but there is no concept of separable or unseparable prefixes affecting the participle form as in German. For example, "to apply" becomes "applied," and "to understand" becomes "understood." English does not add prefixes like "ge-" or omit them depending on the verb type, simplifying the pattern.

Useful German phrases with translations:
Ich habe beantragt – I have applied
Du hast entschieden – You have decided
Er hat verstanden – He has understood

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Louis Fernando Hess

Bachelor of Science - Intercultural Business Psychology

Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences

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Germany


Last Updated:

Wednesday, 03/12/2025 04:50