Before you start
Meet anstellen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
an- + stellen
- an-
- toward or into a position of contact or engagement
- stellen
- to put or place
You place someone into a job, or put a device into operation; with sich, you place yourself in line.
So anstellen means to employ or hire; to switch on; sich anstellen: to queue.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Verb family
More verbs built on stellen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
- vorstellento introduce, imagine
- darstellento depict, portray
- feststellento establish, detect
- einstellento adjust, employ, stop
- herstellento produce
- aufstellento put up, draw up
- herausstellento emphasize, come to light
- abstellento turn off, shut down, park
Separable verb: an·stellen
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 clauseDer Laden stellt heute eine Frau an.The shop is hiring a woman today.
Subordinate clauseIch hoffe, dass die Firma ihn anstellt.I hope that the company hires him.
Participle: angestelltzu-infinitive: anzustellen
Forms
How anstellen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | stelle an | stellte an |
| du | stellst an | stelltest an |
| er/sie/es | stellt an | stellte an |
| wir | stellen an | stellten an |
| ihr | stellt an | stelltet an |
| Sie | stellen an | stellten an |
Partizip II angestellt · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Die Firma stellt heute neue Leute an.The company is hiring new people today.prefix goes to the end
- 2Wir haben uns angestellt und lange gewartet.We got in line and waited a long time.Perfekt for getting in line
- 3Weil du dich so anstellst, lachen alle.Because you are making such a fuss, everyone laughs.verb at the end after weil
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
anstellen + der Laden
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Say that the shop hires a woman for a job.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The shopder Laden has hired her.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When we arrivedankommen, they were alreadyschon queuing.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
He hired him because he needed helpdie Hilfe.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The womandie Frau who hired me works at the schooldie Schule.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Can you turn on the heaterdie Heizung?
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She triedversuchen to hire a mander Mann for the shopder Laden.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Would you hire her if she had more experiencedie Erfahrung?
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 9 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
anstellen + der Chef + dass
Your challenge
- 1Start with a main clause that expresses hope.
- 2Add a dass-clause saying the boss hires you.
- 3Put the verb at the end of the dass-clause.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
When did you last queue, and where? Answer in one sentence using the verb.
Your challenge
- 1Answer with one sentence about when and where you queued.
- 2Use anstellen reflexively in the Perfekt.