Before you start
Meet abnehmen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 15 meanings
- to take off (to remove something that is attached to something or on top of it)
- (transitive) to shave off (a beard, especially a full beard or moustache)
- (transitive) to amputate (a limb)
- (transitive or intransitive) to pick up (the phone)
- (transitive) to take (a sample of, especially blood)
- (transitive) to take away, to take over, to take off (to remove something from someone's hands or possession) [with accusative ‘something’ and dative ‘from someone’]
Build the meaning
ab- + nehmen
- ab-
- away or downward, indicating removal or reduction
- nehmen
- to take
Taking something away gives the idea of removing it or making an amount smaller.
So abnehmen means to take off or remove; to decrease; to lose weight.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Separable verb: ab·nehmen
In a main clause the prefix ab splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseDer Preis nimmt morgen ab.The price goes down tomorrow.
Subordinate clauseSie freut sich, weil sie abnimmt.She is happy because she is losing weight.
Participle: abgenommenzu-infinitive: abzunehmen
Forms
How abnehmen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | nehme ab | nahm ab |
| du | nimmst ab | nahmst ab |
| er/sie/es | nimmt ab | nahm ab |
| wir | nehmen ab | nahmen ab |
| ihr | nehmt ab | nahmt ab |
| Sie | nehmen ab | nahmen ab |
Partizip II abgenommen · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Ich nehme langsam ab.I’m slowly losing weight.prefix goes to the end
- 2Sie hat fünf Kilo abgenommen.She has lost five kilos.Perfekt with haben
- 3Er möchte abnehmen.He wants to lose weight.with a modal verb
Verb family
More verbs built on nehmen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
- annehmento accept, assume
- aufnehmento record, include
- zunehmento increase
- einnehmento take up, in
- vornehmento plan
- teilnehmento take part
- wahrnehmento perceive, detect
- mitnehmento take along