Making Things Happen: Causative Verbs with "ver-"
In German, you can turn an adjective into a verb that means "to make something [adjective]." For example, the act of making something beautiful is to "beautify." We call these causative verbs.
To build these verbs, you generally add the prefix ver- and a suffix (-en or -ern) to an adjective:
- dick (thick) becomes verdicken (to thicken)
- schön (beautiful) becomes verschönern (to beautify)
| These cosmetics are supposed to thicken the eyelashes. | Diese Kosmetik soll die Wimpern verdicken. |
| The expensive cosmetics are supposed to beautify the skin. | Die teure Kosmetik soll die Haut verschönern. |
If the root adjective has an a, o, or u, it usually takes an umlaut (ä, ö, ü) in the new verb. Notice how jung (young), groß (large), and kurz (short) change:
- jung becomes verjüngen (to rejuvenate)
- groß becomes vergrößern (to enlarge)
- kurz becomes verkürzen (to shorten)
| Good cosmetics can not only beautify the face, but also rejuvenate it. | Gute Kosmetik kann das Gesicht nicht nur verschönern, sondern auch verjüngen. |
| Such a procedure can permanently enlarge the lips. | Ein solcher Eingriff kann die Lippen dauerhaft vergrößern. |
| The surgeon can shorten the nose through a procedure. | Der Chirurg kann die Nase durch einen Eingriff verkürzen. |
If the root adjective's vowel cannot take an umlaut, like the ei in fein (fine), simply apply the prefix and suffix:
- fein becomes verfeinern (to refine)
| The doctor must refine the skin and reduce the wrinkles. | Der Arzt muss die Haut verfeinern und die Falten reduzieren. |
There is one small spelling quirk to remember: if the adjective ends in -el, like dunkel (dark), the -e- before the l usually drops out. Therefore, dunkel becomes verdunkeln (to darken).
| You can darken the eyelashes in order to emphasize them. | Man kann die Wimpern verdunkeln, um sie zu betonen. |
