Taking Things Away with ent-
The inseparable prefix ent- expresses removal, separation, or extraction. Adding it to a base word creates a verb about taking something away or undoing an action. Let's explore this by preparing a notoriously complicated fruit:
| the pomegranate | der Granatapfel |
Adding ent- to der Kern (the seed) creates entkernen (to pit).
| How does one pit a pomegranate? | Wie entkernt man einen Granatapfel? |
| Pitting takes a lot of effort. | Das Entkernen kostet viel Mühe. |
Similarly, entnehmen (to extract) combines ent- with nehmen (to take).
| One extracts the seeds carefully. | Man entnimmt die Kerne vorsichtig. |
For removing the skin (die Schale), use entfernen (to remove).
| You remove the skin by pulling on it. | Du entfernst die Schale, indem du daran ziehst. |
Disposing and Juicing
Once you have extracted the good parts, you can throw away the rest with entsorgen (to dispose of).
| As soon as we have all the seeds, we dispose of the skin. | Sobald wir alle Kerne haben, entsorgen wir die Schale. |
If you prefer to drink your fruit, adding ent- to the root word for juice creates entsaften (to juice).
| Can one also juice the pomegranate? | Kann man den Granatapfel auch entsaften? |
| When juicing, it is best to wear an apron. | Beim Entsaften trägt man am besten eine Schürze. |
Is the effort worth it?
Taking apart a pomegranate requires effort (die Mühe). To discuss whether a task is worth the trouble, use the reflexive verb sich lohnen (to be worth it).
| Is the effort worth it? | Lohnt sich die Mühe? |
| It is worth it because the pomegranate is very juicy. | Es lohnt sich, weil der Granatapfel sehr saftig ist. |
