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Separable verbs: where does 'op' go?

By Iskander · October 26, 2026 · 2 min read · 4 exercises

"Ik opsta om zeven uur." Anyone who looks up opstaan in a dictionary says it like that once. But in a normal sentence the verb falls into two pieces: Ik sta om zeven uur op. The prefix op moves to the end. The only question is: which verbs do this?

The rule

Is the prefix a word on its own? Then it comes off.op, af, aan, uit, mee, terug, weg

Ik sta om zeven uur op.opstaan: op moves to the end of the sentence

Ze belt haar moeder elke dag op.opbellen: to call

De trein komt om acht uur aan.aankomen: to arrive

Is the prefix not a word? Then it stays attached.be-, ver-, ont-, ge-, her-

Ik begrijp de vraag.begrijpen: be- is not a word, so nothing comes off

Ze vertelt het aan niemand.vertellen: to tell

With over, onder, door, voor and om it can go either way. Those prefixes are words, but they don't always come off: Het feest gaat morgen door (doorgaan, to go ahead), but We overleggen morgen (overleggen, to discuss) and Ik onderzoek het (onderzoeken, to investigate). Learn verbs like these with an example sentence.

Multiple choice

Try it

Choose the right answer. You'll see right away whether it's correct.

Which sentence is correct? (opstaan)

Ik ___ de vraag niet.

With two verbs in the sentence, the separable verb stays in one piece and goes to the end: Ik moet om zeven uur opstaan. In the perfect tense, ge- slips in between: opgestaan, opgebeld, aangekomen. Verbs with be-, ver- or ont- get no ge- at all: begrepen, verteld.

Fill in

Type the verb

Fill in the two pieces, or one piece if the verb stays whole. The verb is in brackets.

Ik je morgen . (opbellen)

De trein om acht uur . (aankomen)

Ik het aan niemand. (vertellen)

Sentence builder

Put the sentence in the right order

Click the words in the order of the sentence. Click a word in the sentence to put it back.

Dictation

Listen and type

Listen as often as you like and type the sentence you hear.

Want the whole list? The page separable verbs shows the separable and the inseparable verbs side by side. The page is in Dutch, and you don't need an account.

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