Before you start
Meet angucken
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 2 meanings
- (colloquial) to watch, look at
- (colloquial) to inspect, diagnose
Build the meaning
an- + gucken
- an-
- directed toward something
- gucken
- to look
You direct your looking toward something and keep your attention on it.
So angucken means to look at; to watch.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Separable verb: an·gucken
In a main clause the prefix an splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseDu guckst dir den neuen Computer an.You’re looking at the new computer.
Subordinate clauseIch bleibe hier, weil ich mir das Bild angucke.I’m staying here because I’m looking at the picture.
Participle: angegucktzu-infinitive: anzugucken
Forms
How angucken changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | gucke an | guckte an |
| du | guckst an | gucktest an |
| er/sie/es | guckt an | guckte an |
| wir | gucken an | guckten an |
| ihr | guckt an | gucktet an |
| Sie | gucken an | guckten an |
Partizip II angeguckt · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Ich gucke mir die Karte an.I’m looking at the map.present, prefix at the end
- 2Wir haben gestern den Film angeguckt.We watched the film yesterday.Perfekt with haben
- 3Er fragt, ob ich mir das neue Fahrrad angucken kann.He asks if I can look at the new bicycle.modal verb in a subordinate clause