Before you start
Meet untergehen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
unter- + gehen
- unter-
- downward or beneath
- gehen
- to go
To go downward, slipping beneath the surface or horizon.
So untergehen means to go down, sink, or (of the sun) set.
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: unter·gehen
In a main clause the prefix unter splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseDie Sonne geht heute früh unter.The sun sets early today.
Subordinate clauseWir bleiben, weil die Sonne untergeht.We are staying because the sun is setting.
Participle: untergegangenzu-infinitive: unterzugehen
Forms
How untergehen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | gehe unter | ging unter |
| du | gehst unter | gingst unter |
| er/sie/es | geht unter | ging unter |
| wir | gehen unter | gingen unter |
| ihr | geht unter | gingt unter |
| Sie | gehen unter | gingen unter |
Partizip II untergegangen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Die Sonne geht um acht unter.The sun sets at eight.prefix goes to the end
- 2Das Boot ist gestern untergegangen.The boat sank yesterday.Perfekt with sein
- 3Ich weiß, dass das Schiff untergeht.I know that the ship is sinking.verb at the end after dass
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
untergehen + die Sonne
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Say where the sun goes down.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The shipdas Schiff has sunk, and we saw it.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When the sundie Sonne went down, we went homenach Hause.
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Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
We stayed insidedrinnen because the sundie Sonne had gone down.
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Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The boatdas Boot that sank belonged to my uncleder Onkel.
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Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
We must get homenach Hause before the sundie Sonne goes down.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
They were afraidängstlich · Angst haben that the boatdas Boot might sink.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When does the sundie Sonne go down?
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Task 9 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
untergehen + das Boot + obwohl
Your challenge
- 1Start with an obwohl-clause.
- 2Use the simple past for untergehen.
- 3Put the main-clause verb before its subject.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
Have you ever watched the sun go down? Answer in one German sentence using the verb.
Your challenge
- 1Answer with one sentence using untergehen.
- 2Use the Perfekt.
- 3Say that you watched the sun go down.