A separable verb is a verb with a stressed prefix that splits off and moves to the end of the clause when the verb is conjugated in a main clause. English has the same idea — "wake up", "take along", "show up" — but Dutch is far stricter about where the particle lands. These three verbs (opstaan, meenemen, aankomen) are among the most common separables, and they also happen to be built on strong base verbs (staan, nemen, komen), so they let you drill the splitting rules and an irregular past at the same time.
How separation works (the three positions)
There are three things to track with every separable verb:
- Main clause, finite verb → the prefix splits off and goes to the end. Ik sta om zeven uur *op.*
- Subordinate clause → the verb sits at the end and the prefix rejoins it. ...dat ik om zeven uur *opsta.*
- Past participle → the ge- slots between the prefix and the verb. Ik ben *opgestaan. And in *te-infinitives the te also goes in the middle: om op te staan.
That middle-ge- and middle-te placement is the single most distinctive feature, and the one English never prepares you for.
Opstaan — to get up / stand up (aux ZIJN)
| Infinitive | Present (ik) | Simple past (sg.) | Past participle | Auxiliary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| opstaan | sta ... op | stond ... op | opgestaan | zijn |
Built on the strong verb staan (stond / gestaan). Opstaan describes a change of state — from lying/sitting to standing, or getting out of bed — so it takes zijn, not hebben, in the perfect. The past is strong: stond op.
Ik sta doordeweeks om kwart over zes op.
On weekdays I get up at quarter past six. Main clause — prefix splits: 'sta ... op'.
Ze vroeg of ik morgen vroeg opsta.
She asked whether I'm getting up early tomorrow. Subordinate clause — prefix rejoins: 'opsta'.
Ik ben vanochtend pas om tien uur opgestaan.
I didn't get up until ten this morning. Perfect with 'zijn'; ge- in the middle: 'opgestaan'.
Meenemen — to take along (aux HEBBEN)
| Infinitive | Present (ik) | Simple past (sg.) | Past participle | Auxiliary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| meenemen | neem ... mee | nam ... mee | meegenomen | hebben |
Built on the strong verb nemen (nam / genomen). The prefix mee- corresponds to English "along / with (me)". Because taking something is a plain transitive activity (no change of state of the subject), the auxiliary is hebben. The past is strong: nam mee; the participle nests the ge-: meegenomen.
Neem je paraplu mee, het gaat regenen.
Take your umbrella with you, it's going to rain. Imperative-style main clause: 'neem ... mee'.
Sorry dat ik je boek per ongeluk meenam.
Sorry I took your book by accident. Subordinate clause — past, prefix rejoins: 'meenam'.
Heb je iets lekkers voor onderweg meegenomen?
Did you bring something tasty for the journey? Participle 'meegenomen' — ge- in the middle.
Aankomen — to arrive (aux ZIJN)
| Infinitive | Present (ik) | Simple past (sg.) | Past participle | Auxiliary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aankomen | kom ... aan | kwam ... aan | aangekomen | zijn |
Built on the strong verb komen (kwam / gekomen). Arriving is a change of location, so the auxiliary is zijn. The past is strong: kwam aan; participle aangekomen. (As a bonus, aankomen also means "to gain weight" — Ik ben aangekomen = "I've put on weight" — context decides.)
Het vliegtuig komt om half drie aan.
The plane arrives at half past two. Main clause — prefix splits: 'komt ... aan'.
Bel me zodra je op het station aankomt.
Call me as soon as you arrive at the station. Subordinate clause — prefix rejoins: 'aankomt'.
We zijn pas na middernacht thuis aangekomen.
We didn't get home until after midnight. Perfect with 'zijn': 'aangekomen'.
Side-by-side summary
| Verb | Split (main) | Rejoined (sub.) | Past (sg.) | Participle | Aux |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| opstaan | sta ... op | opsta | stond ... op | opgestaan | zijn |
| meenemen | neem ... mee | meeneem | nam ... mee | meegenomen | hebben |
| aankomen | kom ... aan | aankom | kwam ... aan | aangekomen | zijn |
Common Mistakes
❌ Ik opsta om zeven uur.
Incorrect — in a main clause the prefix must split to the end: 'Ik sta om zeven uur op'.
✅ Ik sta om zeven uur op.
I get up at seven o'clock.
❌ Het vliegtuig is om drie uur gekomen aan.
Incorrect — the participle is one word with ge- inside: 'aangekomen'.
✅ Het vliegtuig is om drie uur aangekomen.
The plane arrived at three.
❌ Ik heb mijn laptop meegenomen ... nee, ik ben hem vergeten.
The auxiliary is fine here, but watch the rule: meenemen takes 'hebben', opstaan/aankomen take 'zijn'. Don't say 'Ik ben mijn laptop meegenomen'.
✅ Ik heb mijn laptop meegenomen.
I brought my laptop along. (meenemen → hebben.)
❌ Bel me zodra je aan op het station komt.
Incorrect — in a subordinate clause the prefix rejoins the verb at the end: '...zodra je op het station aankomt'.
✅ Bel me zodra je op het station aankomt.
Call me as soon as you arrive at the station.
❌ Ik ben vanochtend laat opstaan.
Incorrect — the participle nests ge- between prefix and verb: 'opgestaan', not 'opstaan'.
✅ Ik ben vanochtend laat opgestaan.
I got up late this morning.
Key Takeaways
- Main clause: the stressed prefix splits off to the end (sta ... op, neem ... mee, kom ... aan).
- Subordinate clause: the verb goes to the end and the prefix rejoins it (opsta, meeneem, aankom).
- Participle: ge- nests inside, between prefix and stem (opgestaan, meegenomen, aangekomen); te-infinitives split too (om op te staan).
- Auxiliary: opstaan and aankomen are changes of state → zijn; meenemen is a plain activity → hebben.
- All three are built on strong base verbs, so the past is irregular: stond, nam, kwam.
Now practice Dutch
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Start learning Dutch→Related Topics
- Verb Reference: How to Use These TablesA2 — A guide to reading the verb-reference pages: what each conjugation table shows (present, simple past, perfect with its auxiliary, participle), how strong/weak/mixed verbs are labelled, why the auxiliary is flagged, and which verbs to master first.
- Separable Verbs: OverviewA2 — What separable verbs are, how to recognise them by stress (ÓPbellen, not opBELlen), and how the particle behaves across infinitive, present, and participle — the hub for every separable-verb page.
- Participles of Separable Verbs (opgebeld)B1 — How separable verbs form the past participle by inserting ge- between the particle and the stem (op-ge-beld, mee-ge-gaan, aan-ge-komen) — the same stress logic that blocks ge- on inseparable verbs.
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- Strong Verbs: Vowel Change in the PastB1 — How Dutch strong verbs form the simple past by changing the stem vowel, and how their past participle ends in -en — including the singular/plural vowel split that most resources leave out.