Before you start
Meet antun
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 3 meanings
- (transitive, regional) to put on, to dress
- (transitive, dative reflexive) to do something to someone
- (in the past participle, impersonal, informal) to take a shine to; to be taken with; to be captivated, attracted, impressed, enchanted by someone or something
Build the meaning
an- + tun
- an-
- toward or onto someone, with the action directed at them
- tun
- do
Do an action onto someone, making them the person affected by it.
So antun means to do something to someone.
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·tun
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 clauseWas tust du deinem Freund an?What are you doing to your friend?
Subordinate clauseIch glaube, dass du mir nichts antust.I think you're not doing anything to me.
Participle: angetanzu-infinitive: anzutun
Forms
How antun changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | tue an | tat an |
| du | tust an | tatest an |
| er/sie/es | tut an | tat an |
| wir | tun an | taten an |
| ihr | tut an | tatet an |
| Sie | tun an | taten an |
Partizip II angetan · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Du tust mir damit etwas an.You hurt me with that.present tense, main clause
- 2Sie hat ihrem Bruder nichts angetan.She did nothing to her brother.Perfekt with haben
- 3Ich weiß, was du mir antust.I know what you're doing to me.verb at the end