The German Verb “Machen” with 18 Prefixes

German uses prefixes extensively across dozens of high-frequency verbs — machen, fahren, kommen, gehen — and mastering the prefix pattern for one verb gives you a transferable skill you can apply across the entire language. Once you understand how prefixes attach to and separate from a base verb, you gain access to dozens of new words without having to learn each one from scratch. This makes machen prefix verbs one of the highest-leverage areas of German vocabulary study.

Machen is an ideal starting point because it is one of the most frequently used verbs in German, and its prefix derivatives cover a remarkably wide range of everyday situations — turning things on and off, agreeing on plans, getting ready, participating in activities, and much more. If you can learn machen in German and its prefix family, you will immediately recognize and use these words in real conversations. This guide is designed for A2–B2 learners looking to expand their active vocabulary and improve conversational fluency.

In this article, you will find all 18 prefix-based variants of machen, each with a clear English definition, the Partizip II form, real-world example sentences, German synonyms, and a CEFR level label to help you prioritize which verbs to learn first. Each verb entry is tagged with a CEFR level — A2, B1, or B2 — so you can focus on the most essential forms first and work your way up. Use this as both a learning guide and a reference you can return to as your German vocabulary grows.

Basic Verb: Machen

At its core, “machen” means “to do” or “to make.” You can use this verb to talk about both simple everyday tasks as well as complex activities:

Ich mache die Hausaufgaben. → I’m doing the homework.

Sie macht ein Foto von mir. → She’s taking a picture of me.

Was machst du gerade? → What are you doing right now?

In its imperative form, “machen” changes depending on who you are addressing:

• Mach! (informal singular)
• Machen Sie! (formal singular or plural)
• Macht! (informal plural)

How German Prefix Verbs Work: Separable vs. Inseparable

Prefixes are central to how German builds meaning. Rather than inventing entirely new words, German attaches prefixes to existing high-frequency verbs to create dozens of related but distinct meanings. Understanding how these prefixes behave grammatically — not just what they mean — is what allows you to use them correctly in real sentences, not just recognize them on a page.

All 18 machen compounds covered in this article are separable prefix verbs, known in German as trennbare Verben. In practical terms, this means the prefix splits away from the verb in main clauses and moves to the very end of the sentence. Compare these two forms of the same verb: in the infinitive, the prefix stays attached — aufmachen. But in a conjugated main clause, it separates: Mach bitte das Fenster auf. (Please open the window.) The prefix auf- moves to the end of the sentence. This pattern applies consistently to every verb in this article — once you have learned it for one, you have learned it for all 18.

The Partizip II (past participle) follows an equally consistent rule for separable verbs: insert -ge- between the prefix and the verb stem. So aufmachen becomes aufgemacht, abmachen becomes abgemacht, and ausmachen becomes ausgemacht. This is different from inseparable verbs — such as verstehen or erklären — which do not take the -ge- insert at all. However, since every machen compound in this article is separable, the rule is uniform: prefix + ge + mach + t. All machen compounds also use haben as the auxiliary verb in the Perfekt tense, making German verb conjugation for this group straightforward to practice as a set.

Recognizing this pattern across all machen verbs makes the entire group significantly easier to learn as a system. Rather than memorizing 18 independent verbs, you are learning one grammatical pattern applied 18 times. The full list of German separable verbs built on machen follows below.

All 18 Machen Prefix Verbs at a Glance

Use the table below to review all 18 machen prefix verbs at a glance before diving into the detailed explanations.

German Verb	English Meaning(s)	Quick Example
abmachen	to agree on; to remove	Wir haben abgemacht.
anmachen	to turn on; to flirt	Mach den Fernseher an.
aufmachen	to open	Mach das Fenster auf.
ausmachen	to turn off; to matter; to agree	Kannst du das Licht ausmachen?
falsch machen	to do something wrong	Was habe ich falsch gemacht?
fertigmachen	to finish; to exhaust	Ich mache meine Arbeit fertig.
festmachen	to fasten; to secure	Mach das Seil fest.
freimachen	to take time off; to clear	Ich mache morgen frei.
gutmachen	to make up for; to compensate	Ich werde den Fehler gutmachen.
kaputtmachen	to break; to ruin	Pass auf, das nicht kaputtmachst.
leermachen	to empty	Mach den Mülleimer leer.
mitmachen	to participate	Willst du mitmachen?
nassmachen	to get something wet	Mach die Haare nicht nass!
wachmachen	to wake someone up	Mach die Kinder wach.
warmmachen	to warm up; to heat	Ich mache das Essen warm.
wegmachen	to remove	Ich habe den Fleck weggemacht.
zumachen	to close	Mach das Fenster zu.
zurechtmachen	to get ready; to prepare oneself	Ich mache mich zurecht.

18 Prefixes Used with “Machen”

Now, let’s explore how different prefixes transform the meaning of “machen.”

1) abmachen (to agree on something, to remove) — Level: B1 — Partizip II: abgemacht

“Abmachen” can mean to agree on something:

Wir haben abgemacht, uns morgen in der Stadt zu treffen. → We agreed to meet in the city tomorrow.

A synonym for “abmachen” would be “vereinbaren”: Wir haben vereinbart, uns morgen in der Stadt zu treffen.

“Abmachen” also means to remove an object that hangs or sticks to a surface, like a wall or a ceiling.

Kannst du das Poster von der Wand abmachen? → Can you take the poster off the wall?

You can also use the German synonym “entfernen”: Kannst du das Poster von der Wand entfernen?

2) anmachen (to turn on, to flirt) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: angemacht

“Anmachen” is used for turning on devices:

Mach bitte den Fernseher an. → Please turn on the TV.

You can also use the German verb “einschalten”: Schalte bitte den Fernseher ein.

It can also mean to flirt:

Er hat sie in der Bar angemacht. → He flirted with her at the bar.

3) aufmachen (to open) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: aufgemacht

“Aufmachen” means to open something, like doors or packages:

Mach bitte das Fenster auf. → Please open the window.

You can also use the German synonym “öffnen”:

Öffne bitte das Fenster.

Er hat das Fenster aufgemacht. → He opened the window.

4) ausmachen (to turn off, to matter, to agree on something) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: ausgemacht

“Ausmachen” is commonly used for turning off devices or lights.

Kannst du das Licht ausmachen? → Can you turn off the light?

“Ausmachen” can also mean to matter:

Es macht mir nichts aus. → It doesn’t matter to me.

It also means to agree on something, similar to abmachen.

Wir haben ausgemacht, uns um 15 Uhr bei ihm zu treffen. → We agreed on meeting at his place at 3pm.

The video below offers an in-depth look into these verb variations and will also help you improve your German pronunciation. (Note: the video covers 17 variants; this article expands on that with an 18th entry.)

5) falsch machen (to do something wrong) — Level: B2 — Partizip II: falsch gemacht

“Falsch machen” refers to making a mistake:

Was habe ich falsch gemacht? → What did I do wrong?

It can also be used in a more specific context:

Ich glaube, ich habe bei der Prüfung viel falsch gemacht. → I think I got a lot wrong on the exam.

6) fertigmachen (to finish, to exhaust) — Level: B1 — Partizip II: fertiggemacht

This verb can mean to complete something:

Ich mache meine Arbeit fertig. → I’m finishing my work.

You can also use the German verb “erledigen”:

Ich erledige meine Arbeit.

“Fertigmachen” also means to exhaust someone or to wear someone out:

Das hat mich fertig gemacht. → That wore me out.

7) festmachen (to fasten, to secure) — Level: B1 — Partizip II: festgemacht

“Festmachen” is used to indicate fastening or securing something:

Mach das Seil fest, bevor du kletterst. → Fasten the rope before you climb.

You can also use the German synonym “befestigen”:

Sie hat das Vogelhaus am Baum befestigt. → She attached the bird house to the tree.

8) freimachen (to take time off, to clear) — Level: B1 — Partizip II: freigemacht

“Freimachen” means to take time off:

Ich mache morgen frei. → I’m taking the day off tomorrow.

Another way to say this would be:

Ich nehme mir morgen frei.

It can also be used to mean clearing or freeing up space:

Kannst du bitte den Tisch freimachen? → Can you please clear the table?

9) gutmachen (to make up for something, to compensate) — Level: B2 — Partizip II: gutgemacht

“Gutmachen” means to make up for a mistake or to compensate:

Ich werde den Fehler wieder gutmachen. → I will make up for the mistake.

It is also commonly used in a personal context:

Das werde ich dir irgendwann gutmachen. → I’ll make it up to you someday.

10) kaputtmachen (to break, to ruin) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: kaputtgemacht

“Kaputtmachen” is used when something is broken or ruined:

Pass auf, dass du das Spielzeug nicht kaputtmachst. → Be careful not to break the toy.

It can also be used figuratively:

Diese Arbeit macht mich kaputt. → This work is destroying me.

11) leermachen (to empty) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: leergemacht

“Leermachen” refers to emptying something, such as a container:

Mach bitte den Mülleimer leer. → Please empty the trash can.

You can also use the German verb “leeren”:

Ich muss noch den Mülleimer leeren, bevor wir fahren.

12) mitmachen (to participate) — Level: B1 — Partizip II: mitgemacht

“Mitmachen” is used when someone joins an activity:

Willst du beim Spiel mitmachen? → Do you want to join the game?

Sie hat bei der Diskussion mitgemacht. → She participated in the discussion.

13) nassmachen (to get something wet) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: nassgemacht

“Nassmachen” is used when something gets wet:

Mach die Haare nicht nass! → Don’t get the hair wet!

It can also describe something being soaked through:

Der Regen hat mein Hemd komplett nassgemacht. → The rain completely soaked my shirt.

14) wachmachen (to wake up someone) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: wachgemacht

“Wachmachen” is used to wake someone up from sleep:

Mach die Kinder wach, es ist Zeit für die Schule. → Wake the kids up; it’s time for school.

You can also use the German synonym “wecken”:

Weck die Kinder, es ist Zeit für die Schule.

15) warmmachen (to warm up, to heat) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: warmgemacht

“Warmmachen” means to warm something up, typically food:

Ich mache das Essen schnell warm. → I’ll quickly warm up the food.

You can also use the verb “aufwärmen”:

Ich wärme das Essen schnell auf.

16) wegmachen (to remove) — Level: B1 — Partizip II: weggemacht

“Wegmachen” refers to removing something, like dirt or stains.

Ich habe den Fleck weggemacht. → I removed the stain.

Könntest du bitte den Dreck wegmachen? → Could you please remove the dirt?

You wouldn’t use it to remove an object you can move back and forth, like a car or a book. For vehicles, you would use “wegfahren”:

Können Sie bitte Ihr Auto wegfahren? Hier ist Halteverbot. → Can you please move your car? There is no stopping here.

For books and the like, you can use “weglegen.”

Bitte leg das Buch weg. → Literally: Please lay the book away.

17) zumachen (to close) — Level: A2 — Partizip II: zugemacht

“Zumachen” is the opposite of “aufmachen,” meaning to close something:

Mach das Fenster zu. → Close the window.

You can also use the German verb “schließen”:

Schließen Sie bitte das Fenster. → Please close the window.

Sie hat die Tür zugemacht. → She closed the door.

18) zurechtmachen (to get ready, to prepare oneself) — Level: B2 — Partizip II: zurechtgemacht

“Zurechtmachen” involves getting oneself ready:

Ich mache mich für die Party zurecht. → I’m getting ready for the party.

It is also used to describe a quick daily routine:

Sie macht sich jeden Morgen in zehn Minuten zurecht. → She gets herself ready in ten minutes every morning.

For more advanced studying, why don’t you check out the difference between the German verbs “tun” and “machen” and how they are used in different contexts! Watch the video below for a detailed explanation and practical examples that will come in handy to you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Machen and Its Prefixes

What is the difference between aufmachen and öffnen?

Both mean “to open,” but they differ in register. Aufmachen is more colloquial and the more common choice in everyday spoken German — you would use it to open a window, a bottle, or a shop. Öffnen is more formal and often appears in written contexts or with abstract objects, such as opening a bank account or an exhibition. In most everyday conversations, aufmachen is the natural default.

What is the difference between ausmachen and abmachen?

Ausmachen primarily means to turn something off (a light, a device) or to matter (Es macht mir nichts aus). Abmachen means to agree on something or to remove an object attached to a surface. The two verbs overlap only in the sense of “to agree” — both can be used in that context, though abmachen is slightly more colloquial for arrangements between people.

Are all machen prefix verbs separable?

Yes — all 18 verbs covered in this article are separable (trennbare Verben). This means the prefix moves to the end of the sentence in main clauses. For example: Mach bitte das Licht aus. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive, the prefix stays attached: Ich vergesse immer, das Licht auszumachen.

How do I form the past tense of machen prefix verbs?

All machen compounds use haben as the auxiliary verb in the Perfekt tense. The Partizip II is formed by inserting -ge- between the prefix and the stem: aufgemacht, abgemacht, ausgemacht, mitgemacht, and so on. This rule applies consistently across all 18 verbs in this article, making German verb conjugation for this group straightforward to practice as a set.

Which machen prefix verbs are most important to learn first?

Start with the A2-level verbs, as these appear most frequently in everyday conversation: aufmachen, zumachen, anmachen, ausmachen, and mitmachen. Once you are comfortable using these in both present tense and Perfekt, move on to the B1 verbs such as abmachen, fertigmachen, and wegmachen. The B2 entries — gutmachen, zurechtmachen, and falsch machen — are worth learning once you have a solid foundation with the more frequent forms.

Conclusion

Mastering the 18 prefix verbs built on machen gives you a powerful vocabulary toolkit for everyday German. Because all of these are German separable verbs, learning the separability pattern once — prefix to the end in main clauses, -ge- inserted in the Partizip II — means you can correctly use all 18 forms in sentences right away. The consistency of this system is what makes machen prefix verbs such an efficient area to study: one grammatical rule, applied across household tasks, social interactions, work and scheduling, and emotional expressions.

With this guide, you can now use these 18 verbs in present tense, Perfekt tense, and imperative forms in real conversations. That is a meaningful, concrete expansion of your active German vocabulary — exactly the kind of progress that compounds over time. If you want to keep building your German vocabulary with the same structured approach, lingoni offers a complete A1-to-B2 German course with native-speaker video lessons and milestone tests to track your real progress.