Before you start
Meet ankommen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 5 meanings
- (intransitive) to arrive
- (impersonal) to depend [with auf (+ accusative) ‘on something’]
- (impersonal) to be important, to matter [with auf (+ accusative) ‘something’]
- (intransitive) to be a match for, to stand a chance against [with gegen]
- (intransitive) to be received, to do
Build the meaning
an- + kommen
- an-
- toward and up to a destination
- kommen
- to come
To come up to a destination is to arrive there.
So ankommen means to arrive.
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·kommen
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 clauseMeine Freunde kommen um acht an.My friends arrive at eight.
Subordinate clauseSie sagt, dass der Zug bald ankommt.She says that the train will arrive soon.
Participle: angekommenzu-infinitive: anzukommen
Forms
How ankommen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | komme an | kam an |
| du | kommst an | kamst an |
| er/sie/es | kommt an | kam an |
| wir | kommen an | kamen an |
| ihr | kommt an | kamt an |
| Sie | kommen an | kamen an |
Partizip II angekommen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Der Zug kommt pünktlich an.The train arrives on time.prefix goes to the end
- 2Wir sind gestern spät angekommen.We arrived late yesterday.Perfekt with sein
- 3Ich hoffe, dass ihr gut ankommt.I hope you arrive safely.verb at the end after dass
Verb family
More verbs built on kommen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
- vorkommento happen, occur, seem
- zurückkommento return
- hereinkommento come in
- herauskommento come out
- zukommento come towards, be in store
- herkommento come here
- aufkommento come up, arise, pay for
- entgegenkommento come to meet, accommodate