Before you start
Meet nachgehen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
nach- + gehen
- nach-
- following behind or after something
- gehen
- to go
Go after something by following up on it, or lag behind as you move.
So nachgehen means to investigate or pursue; to lag or be slow.
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 gehen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
- ausgehento go out, assume
- eingehento deal with, give attention
- weitergehento go on
- angehento concern, go on
- zurückgehento go back, decrease
- umgehento treat, handle
- hingehento go there
- zugehento approach, close
Separable verb: nach·gehen
In a main clause the prefix nach splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseIch gehe der Sache später nach.I’ll look into the matter later.
Subordinate clauseIch bleibe hier, weil ich der Sache nachgehe.I’m staying here because I’m looking into the matter.
Participle: nachgegangenzu-infinitive: nachzugehen
Forms
How nachgehen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | gehe nach | ging nach |
| du | gehst nach | gingst nach |
| er/sie/es | geht nach | ging nach |
| wir | gehen nach | gingen nach |
| ihr | geht nach | gingt nach |
| Sie | gehen nach | gingen nach |
Partizip II nachgegangen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Ich gehe dem Problem heute nach.I’m looking into the problem today.prefix goes to the end
- 2Die Polizei ist dem Mann lange nachgegangen.The police followed the man for a long time.Perfekt with sein
- 3Meine Uhr geht fünf Minuten nach.My clock is five minutes slow.clock runs slow
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
nachgehen + das Problem
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Use das Problem as a dative object.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
I looked into it yesterday.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When the clockdie Uhr was slowlangsam, we tookbringen it to the shopdas Geschäft · der Laden.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She is looking into the problemdas Problem because her brotherder Bruder askedbitten her to.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The storydie Geschichte that he is looking into is in the newspaperdie Zeitung.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
We must look into why the clockdie Uhr is slowlangsam.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
He decidedbeschließen to look into the questiondie Frage.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Are you looking into the matterdie Sache?
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:
nachgehen + die Sache + obwohl
Your challenge
- 1Start with an obwohl-clause.
- 2Use the present tense in the main clause.
- 3Use die Sache as a dative object.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
What would you like to look into in your free time?
Your challenge
- 1Answer with one thing you would like to investigate.
- 2Use nachgehen with a dative object.