The German Verb “Gehen” with 31 Prefixes

The German language is a treasure trove of verbs that, when combined with prefixes, transform a simple root verb into a whole new concept. A particularly intriguing subset of these verbs originates from the root verb ‘gehen,’ which translates to ‘to go.’

These versatile verbs, known as separable verbs, are used in both formal and informal contexts. In this article, we’ll learn the meanings and uses of the separable verbs derived from ‘gehen’.

Basic Verb: Gehen

At its core, “gehen” means “to go” or “to walk.” It’s a fundamental verb in German, used to describe movement from one place to another or to express how someone is doing:

Ich gehe zur Arbeit. → I’m going to work.

Sie geht jeden Tag spazieren. → She goes for a walk every day.

Wie geht es dir? → How are you? (Literally: How goes it with you?)

In its imperative form, “gehen” changes based on whom you’re speaking to:

Geh! (informal singular)
Gehen Sie! (formal singular or plural)
Geht! (informal plural)

31 Prefixes Used with “Gehen”

Now, let’s take a look at how different prefixes change the meaning of “machen.”

1) abgehen (to party, to go wild)

“Abgehen” is often used in everyday speech to describe having a lot of fun or partying intensely:

“Die Leute sind auf meiner Party richtig abgegangen.” (People really went wild at my party.)

Another way to phrase this would be:

“Die Leute hatten auf meiner Party richtig viel Spaß.”

2) angehen (to concern, to address)

“Angehen” is used when something concerns or affects someone. It can be used both in positive and negative contexts:

“Das Thema geht uns alle an, weil es um unsere Zukunft geht.” (The topic concerns us all because it is about our future.)

A synonym of “angehen” is “betreffen”:

“Das Thema betrifft uns alle, weil es um unsere Zukunft geht.”

“Das geht dich nichts an.” (That’s none of your business.)

3) aufgehen (to open, to rise)

This verb can describe something physically opening or rising, such as dough in an oven:

“Die Tür ging wie von selbst auf.” (The door opened by itself.)

You can also use the German synonym “öffnen”:

“Die Tür öffnete sich wie von selbst.”

“Der Teig geht im Ofen wunderbar auf.” (The dough rises wonderfully in the oven.)

4) ausgehen (to go out)

“Ausgehen” is used for social activities like dining out or partying:

“Hast du Lust, heute Abend mit mir auszugehen?” (Would you like to go out with me tonight?)

5) begehen (to commit)

“Begehen” is generally used when referring to the commission of an action, often a crime:

“Er hat ein Verbrechen begangen.” (He committed a crime.)

6) draufgehen (to die)

“Draufgehen” is a colloquial term for dying, often in tragic circumstances:

“Im Krieg sind viele Soldaten draufgegangen.” (Many soldiers died in the war.)

The more formal verb used is “sterben”:

“Im Krieg sind viele Soldaten gestorben.”

7) eingehen (to die slowly)

“Eingehen” typically refers to the slow death of a plant, though it can also be used metaphorically:

“Meine Zimmerpflanze ist eingegangen, weil ich vergessen habe, sie zu gießen.” (My houseplant died because I forgot to water it.)

8) einhergehen mit (to go along with)

This verb is used to describe something that accompanies or is associated with something else:

“Kopfschmerzen gehen oft mit Stress einher.” (Headaches often go hand in hand with stress.)

9) entgehen (to miss, to escape)

“Entgehen” suggests missing an opportunity or something slipping by unnoticed:

“Ihr ist die Chance entgangen, weil sie zu spät gekommen ist.” (She missed the opportunity because she arrived too late.)

10) ergehen (to fare)

“Ergehen” is a more formal verb that means to fare or to get along in a particular situation:

“In der neuen Stadt geht es ihm sehr gut.” (He is doing very well in the new city.)

11) fremdgehen (to cheat)

“Fremdgehen” is specifically used in the context of infidelity:

“Er ist fremdgegangen und daraufhin haben sie sich getrennt.” (He cheated, and they broke up as a result.)

Another German synonym for cheating is “betrügen”. It is used with a direct object (Accusative).

“Er hat sie betrogen und daraufhin haben sie sich getrennt.”

12) heimgehen (to go home)

This verb means to go home, often used when someone is tired or ready to leave:

“Ich gehe jetzt heim. Ich bin müde.” (I’m going home now. I’m tired.)

It is also very common to use the expression “nach Hause gehen”:

“Ich gehe jetzt nach Hause. Ich bin müde.”

13) kaputtgehen (to break)

“Kaputtgehen” describes something being destroyed or broken:

“Mein Handy ist kaputt gegangen, weil ich es auf den Boden fallen ließ.” (My phone broke because I dropped it on the floor.)

14) losgehen (to start)

“Losgehen” is used to indicate the start of something, such as an event:

“Der Film geht um 18 Uhr los.” (The movie starts at 6 p.m.)

“anfangen” and “beginnen” are two synonyms of “losgehen:

“Der Film beginnt um 18 Uhr.” / “Der Film fängt um 18 Uhr an.”

15) mitgehen (to go along, to accompany)

This verb is used when someone accompanies another person somewhere:

“Gehst du mit zur Ausstellung am Wochenende?” (Are you going to the exhibition at the weekend?)

16) raufgehen (to go upstairs)

“Raufgehen” means to go upstairs, often used when moving from one floor to another:

“Ich gehe jetzt rauf und lese ein Buch.” (I’m going upstairs to read a book.)

The expression “nach oben gehen” is also very common:

“Ich gehe jetzt nach oben und lese ein Buch.”

17) rausgehen (to go outside)

This verb is used when someone leaves a building to go outside:

“Die Sonne scheint und ich gehe jetzt raus.” (The sun is shining, and I’m going outside.)

It’s also common to say “nach draußen gehen”:

“Die Sonne scheint und ich gehe jetzt nach draußen.”

18) reingehen (to go inside)

The opposite of “rausgehen” is “reingehen” which is used when someone enters a building:

“Es regnet und deswegen gehe ich jetzt rein.” (It’s raining, so I’m going inside.)

19) runtergehen (to go downstairs)

“Runtergehen” refers to going downstairs or moving to a lower level:

“Gehst du runter oder bleibst du hier?” (Are you going downstairs, or are you staying here?)

You can also just use the expression “nach unten gehen”:

“Gehst du nach unten oder bleibst du hier?”

If you want to learn how to pronounce all of these verbs and their variations and see more authentic examples, you can watch the video below.

20) sichergehen (to make sure)

“Sichergehen” is used when someone wants to ensure something is done correctly:

“Ich möchte erst sichergehen, dass alle Türen und Fenster geschlossen sind, bevor ich gehe.” (I want to make sure all the doors and windows are closed before I leave.)

A very similar verb with the same meaning is “sicherstellen”:

“Ich möchte erst sicherstellen, dass alle Türen und Fenster geschlossen sind, bevor ich gehe.”

21) übergehen (to overlook or ignore)

This verb means to ignore or pass over someone or something:

“Keiner hat mir zugehört und alle haben mich übergangen.” (No one listened to me, and everyone ignored me.)

22) untergehen (to sink, to go down)

“Untergehen” is often used to describe something sinking or setting, like the sun:

“Gleich geht die Sonne unter.” (The sun is about to set.)

“Das Schiff ist 1912 untergegangen.” (The ship sank in 1912.)

23) sich vergehen (to assault, to violate)

This serious verb is used in the context of committing an assault:

“Er hat sich an dem Kind vergangen und wurde verhaftet.” (He assaulted the child and was arrested.)

24) vorbeigehen (to pass by)

“Vorbeigehen” means to pass by something or someone:

“Wir sind an vielen schönen Geschäften vorbeigegangen.” (We passed by many beautiful shops.)

25) vorgehen (to proceed)

“Vorgehen” can mean to go ahead or to take the lead in doing something:

“Er geht vor und zeigt uns den Weg.” (He goes ahead and shows us the way.)

For a deeper understanding and examples in context, check out the video we made on this subject, where we break down each verb and its usage in everyday conversation.

26) vorübergehen (to pass)

This verb is used to describe something temporary that will eventually pass:

“Auch die schwierigsten Zeiten gehen irgendwann vorüber.” (Even the most difficult times pass eventually.)

27) weggehen (to go away, to leave)

“Weggehen” is used when someone is leaving or moving away from a place:

“Er soll weggehen. Er stört uns.” (He should go away. He’s bothering us.)

28) weitergehen (to keep going, to continue)

This verb is used when someone continues moving or doing something:

“Lass uns weitergehen, damit wir rechtzeitig im Tal ankommen.” (Let’s keep going so that we arrive at the valley on time.)

29) zugehen (to close)

“Zugehen” means to close, often used when describing doors or windows:

“Die Tür geht automatisch zu, wenn du sie loslässt.” (The door closes automatically when you let go of it.)

30) auf etwas zugehen (to approach something or someone)

This verb is used when someone approaches a person or object:

“Sie ist auf das Gebäude zugegangen.” (She walked towards the building.)

31) zurückgehen (to go back)

“Zurückgehen” means to return to a previous place or situation:

“Wir sollten zurückgehen und einen anderen Weg suchen.” (We should go back and find another way.)

Congratulations on making it to the end of this article! By now, you can see why people often say that the German language has a verb for everything. The verb “gehen” is a perfect example—it’s not just used for talking about walking or going somewhere. With the right prefixes, you can use “gehen” to express actions like removing something, closing something, or ensuring something gets done.

Feel free to practice by creating your own sentences with these verbs and share them in the comments. For more exercises and learning materials, visit lingoni.com, a platform designed to guide and support you in mastering these verbs. Happy learning!