A separable verb is one written as a single word in the dictionary — opstaan (to get up), aankom (to arrive) — but which splits into two pieces the moment you use it in an ordinary main clause: the particle peels off the front and drops to the end of the sentence. Ek staan om sewe-uur op (I get up at seven). This page is a pure reference: twenty of the highest-frequency separable verbs, each in its three working forms, so you can look up the exact shape you need. The mechanics of why the particle moves are explained in full on separable verbs; here we just give you the forms.
How to read the table
Each separable verb appears in three places in real Afrikaans, and the table gives all three:
- Main clause (split) — the everyday form, where the particle detaches and lands at the clause end: Ek *trek my jas aan* (I put my coat on).
- Subordinate / infinitive (joined) — after dat, omdat, om te, or any clause where the verb goes to the end, the two halves rejoin into one word: ...omdat ek my jas aantrek (...because I put my coat on).
- Past participle — the ge- slips inside, between the particle and the stem, giving aangetrek, never geaantrek. This infixed ge- is the single feature that trips up almost every learner; see separable verbs in the past for the rule behind it.
Reference table: twenty common separable verbs
| Infinitive | English | Main clause (split) | Subordinate (joined) | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| opstaan | get up | staan ... op | opstaan | opgestaan |
| aankom | arrive | kom ... aan | aankom | aangekom |
| uitgaan | go out | gaan ... uit | uitgaan | uitgegaan |
| weggaan | go away, leave | gaan ... weg | weggaan | weggegaan |
| terugkom | come back | kom ... terug | terugkom | teruggekom |
| saamgaan | go along, come with | gaan ... saam | saamgaan | saamgegaan |
| saamkom | come along | kom ... saam | saamkom | saamgekom |
| oopmaak | open | maak ... oop | oopmaak | oopgemaak |
| toemaak | close, shut | maak ... toe | toemaak | toegemaak |
| wegloop | walk off, run away | loop ... weg | wegloop | weggeloop |
| afklim | get off, climb down | klim ... af | afklim | afgeklim |
| opklim | climb up, get on | klim ... op | opklim | opgeklim |
| instap | get in, step in | stap ... in | instap | ingestap |
| uitstap | get out, step out | stap ... uit | uitstap | uitgestap |
| aantrek | put on (clothes) | trek ... aan | aantrek | aangetrek |
| uittrek | take off (clothes) | trek ... uit | uittrek | uitgetrek |
| opbel | phone, ring up | bel ... op | opbel | opgebel |
| aankyk | look at | kyk ... aan | aankyk | aangekyk |
| wegsit | put away | sit ... weg | wegsit | weggesit |
| opruim | tidy up, clear away | ruim ... op | opruim | opgeruim |
The verbs in context
A handful of examples so the three forms become muscle memory. Notice each time that the particle is at the very end in the main clause but rejoined in the subordinate clause.
Ek staan elke oggend om sesuur op.
I get up at six o'clock every morning.
Die trein kom oor tien minute aan.
The train arrives in ten minutes.
Maak asseblief die venster oop — dit is bedompig hier binne.
Please open the window — it's stuffy in here.
Trek 'n jas aan, dit reën buite.
Put on a coat, it's raining outside.
Sy het my gisteraand opgebel om te hoor hoe dit gaan.
She phoned me last night to hear how things are going.
Ons het laat opgestaan en die hele oggend gemis.
We got up late and missed the whole morning.
Now the joined subordinate form, where the two halves reunite at the clause end:
Ek weet nie of hy vandag terugkom nie.
I don't know whether he's coming back today.
Sy het gebel omdat sy wil saamgaan see toe.
She called because she wants to come along to the sea.
Onthou om die hek toe te maak wanneer jy uitstap.
Remember to close the gate when you step out.
A note on particle vs. true prefix
Not every verb that begins with op-, aan-, or uit- is separable. A small set of these prefixes are inseparable — they never split and take no ge- in the participle (for example onderstreep, underline, → onderstreep, not ondergestreep). Those belong to a different family covered on inseparable verbs. Every verb in the table above is a genuine separable verb: stress falls on the particle (ÓP-staan, ÁAN-kom), and that stress is your reliable signal that it will split.
Common mistakes
❌ Ek opstaan om sesuur.
Incorrect — in a main clause the particle must split off and go to the end.
✅ Ek staan om sesuur op.
I get up at six o'clock.
❌ Die trein het geaankom.
Incorrect — ge- goes inside the verb, not in front of the whole thing.
✅ Die trein het aangekom.
The train arrived.
❌ Maak oop die venster.
Incorrect — the object die venster sits inside; the particle oop closes the clause.
✅ Maak die venster oop.
Open the window.
❌ ...omdat hy vroeg staan op.
Incorrect — in a subordinate clause the verb rejoins; it does not split.
✅ ...omdat hy vroeg opstaan.
...because he gets up early.
❌ Onthou om die hek toemaak.
Incorrect — in an om te infinitive the te slots between particle and stem.
✅ Onthou om die hek toe te maak.
Remember to close the gate.
Key takeaways
- A separable verb is one word in the dictionary but splits in a main clause, sending its particle to the end: staan ... op.
- In a subordinate or infinitive clause the two halves rejoin: ...omdat ek opstaan, om op te staan.
- The participle infixes ge- into the seam: opgestaan, aangekom, aangetrek — never geopstaan or geaankom.
- Stress on the particle is your signal that a verb is separable; contrast the inseparable verbs.
- For the word-order logic behind the split, see separable verbs; for the past tense in detail, separable verbs in the past.
Now practice Afrikaans
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Afrikaans→Related Topics
- Separable Verbs: opstaan, aankom, uitgaanA2 — How separable verbs split — the stressed particle drops to the end of a main clause but rejoins the stem in subordinate clauses and infinitives.
- Past Tense of Separable VerbsB1 — How separable verbs form their past participle — ge- is infixed between the particle and the stem (opstaan → opgestaan, aankom → aangekom), written solid, and placed clause-finally — and why inseparable-prefixed verbs take no ge- at all.
- Separable Particles Reference: op, aan, uit, in, af, by, saam, terugB1 — A reference to the productive separable particles — op, aan, uit, in, af, by, saam, terug, mee — and the consistent meaning each one contributes to the verb it joins.
- aantrek and uittrek — to dress and undressA2 — Full forms of the separable pair aantrek (put on / get dressed, het aangetrek) and uittrek (take off / undress, het uitgetrek) — the main-clause split plus their optional reflexive use (jou aantrek = dress oneself).
- opstaan, gaan sit, gaan lê — Posture ChangesA2 — To say you sit down, lie down, stand up or go to bed, Afrikaans adds gaan or op to the posture verb — gaan sit, gaan lê, gaan slaap, opstaan — turning the static state into the dynamic act of getting into it.