The German Verb “Gehen” with 31 Prefixes

Think “gehen” just means “to go”? In German, that’s only the beginning. With the right prefix attached, this single root verb can mean to cheat on a partner, to commit a crime, to make sure something is done correctly, or to watch a ship sink — all without learning a new root word. In this B1–C1 level guide to German separable verbs, we cover all 31 prefix verbs built from “gehen,” with German example sentences, English translations, and synonyms for each one.

The article is structured progressively: we start with the base verb and its conjugation, then explain how separable verbs work grammatically, and then move through all 31 gehen prefix verbs in detail. A quick-reference summary table and a short practice exercise are included at the end to help you consolidate what you’ve learned.

Basic Verb: Gehen

Before exploring the full list of German gehen prefix verbs, let’s review the base verb itself. 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?)

The table below shows the full present-tense conjugation of “gehen.” All 31 prefix verbs in this article follow the same stem pattern, so this table serves as a conjugation reference for the entire list.

Pronoun	Present Tense (Präsens): gehen
ich	gehe
du	gehst
er/sie/es	geht
wir	gehen
ihr	geht
sie/Sie	gehen

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)

How Separable Verbs Work in German

In a main clause, the prefix of a separable verb detaches from the verb and moves to the end of the sentence. For example: Der Film geht um 18 Uhr los. (The movie starts at 6 p.m.) — here, “los” separates from “losgehen” and moves to the end.

In a subordinate clause introduced by a conjunction such as “weil” or “dass,” the verb stays together at the end of the clause: Ich freue mich, weil der Film um 18 Uhr losgeht. (I’m pleased because the movie starts at 6 p.m.)

In the Perfekt (past tense), the prefix rejoins the verb stem and the “ge-” particle is inserted between the prefix and the stem: Der Film ist um 18 Uhr losgegangen. (The movie started at 6 p.m.) Note that most Präfixverben mit gehen take “sein” as their auxiliary in the Perfekt, though a small number of exceptions — such as “begehen” and “sich vergehen” — take “haben.” These exceptions are flagged in the verb entries below. All 31 verbs in this article follow these same three rules.

31 Prefixes Used with “Gehen”

Now, let’s take a look at how different prefixes change the meaning of “gehen.” All 31 verbs in this list are separable prefix verbs (Präfixverben), which means the prefix detaches from the verb in main clauses and moves to the end of the sentence — for example, Der Film geht um 18 Uhr los. Each entry below includes the meaning, a real-world example sentence in German with an English translation, and a synonym where one exists.

1) abgehen (to party, to go wild)

Perfekt: ist abgegangen

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

Register: Colloquial — used primarily in informal spoken German among younger speakers; avoid in formal writing or professional contexts.

“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)

Perfekt: ist angegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist aufgegangen

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)

Perfekt: ist ausgegangen

“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)

Perfekt: hat begangen (irregular past participle: begangen; takes “haben” as auxiliary)

“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)

Perfekt: ist draufgegangen

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

Register: Colloquial — an informal, somewhat blunt expression for dying; use “sterben” in formal or sensitive contexts.

“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)

Perfekt: ist eingegangen

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

Register: Colloquial — used informally, most often to describe plants or animals fading; in figurative use, it can describe a business or relationship slowly failing.

“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)

Perfekt: ist einhergegangen

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

Register: Formal — more common in written German, academic texts, and formal speech; in everyday conversation, a simpler phrasing such as “verbunden sein mit” is often preferred.

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

9) entgehen (to miss, to escape)

Perfekt: ist entgangen

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

Register: Formal — found frequently in written German and formal speech; in casual conversation, “verpassen” is more common for missing something.

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

10) ergehen (to fare)

Perfekt: ist ergangen

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

Register: Formal — more common in written German and formal speech; in everyday conversation, “es geht ihm gut” is more natural.

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

11) fremdgehen (to cheat)

Perfekt: ist fremdgegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist heimgegangen

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)

Perfekt: ist kaputtgegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist losgegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist mitgegangen

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)

Perfekt: ist raufgegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist rausgegangen

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)

Perfekt: ist reingegangen

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)

Perfekt: ist runtergegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist sichergegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist übergangen

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

Register: Formal/Neutral — more common in written German and formal speech when describing someone being deliberately overlooked; in everyday conversation, “ignorieren” is often used instead.

“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)

Perfekt: ist untergegangen

“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)

Perfekt: hat sich vergangen (takes “haben” as auxiliary)

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

Register: Formal/Legal — used in legal and journalistic contexts to describe assault or violation; not used in casual conversation.

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

24) vorbeigehen (to pass by)

Perfekt: ist vorbeigegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist vorgegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist vorübergegangen

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)

Perfekt: ist weggegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist weitergegangen

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)

Perfekt: ist zugegangen

“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)

Perfekt: ist auf etwas zugegangen

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)

Perfekt: ist zurückgegangen

“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.)

Quick Reference: All 31 gehen Prefix Verbs

Use the table below as a revision tool. The Register/Level column indicates how each verb is typically used, so you can choose the right word for the right context.

German Verb	English Meaning	Register/Level
abgehen	to party, to go wild	Colloquial
angehen	to concern, to address	Everyday
aufgehen	to open, to rise	Everyday
ausgehen	to go out	Everyday
begehen	to commit	Formal
draufgehen	to die (informal)	Colloquial
eingehen	to die slowly, to wither	Colloquial
einhergehen mit	to go along with, to accompany	Formal
entgehen	to miss, to escape	Formal
ergehen	to fare	Formal
fremdgehen	to cheat (in a relationship)	Everyday
heimgehen	to go home	Everyday
kaputtgehen	to break	Everyday
losgehen	to start	Everyday
mitgehen	to go along, to accompany	Everyday
raufgehen	to go upstairs	Everyday
rausgehen	to go outside	Everyday
reingehen	to go inside	Everyday
runtergehen	to go downstairs	Everyday
sichergehen	to make sure	Everyday
übergehen	to overlook, to ignore	B2/C1
untergehen	to sink, to go down	B2/C1
sich vergehen	to assault, to violate	Formal
vorbeigehen	to pass by	Everyday
vorgehen	to proceed, to go ahead	Everyday
vorübergehen	to pass (temporarily)	B2/C1
weggehen	to go away, to leave	Everyday
weitergehen	to keep going, to continue	Everyday
zugehen	to close	Everyday
auf etwas zugehen	to approach something or someone	Everyday
zurückgehen	to go back	Everyday

Practice: Test Your Knowledge of gehen Prefix Verbs

Now that you’ve worked through all 31 verbs, it’s time to test yourself. Fill in the blank in each sentence below with the correct verb from the bracketed options.

1. Der Unterricht ________ um 9 Uhr ________. (losgehen / weitergehen / zugehen)
2. Wir sind an dem alten Schloss ________. (vorbeigehen / vorübergehen / übergehen)
3. Es regnet — ich ________ jetzt ________. (rausgehen / reingehen / raufgehen)
4. Auch diese schwierige Phase wird irgendwann ________. (vorbeigehen / vorübergehen / losgehen)
5. Die Tür ________ automatisch ________, wenn du sie loslässt. (zugehen / aufgehen / angehen)

Answers:

1. geht … los
2. vorbeigegangen
3. gehe … rein
4. vorübergehen
5. geht … zu

Can you write one original sentence in German using any three of the 31 verbs above? Share your sentences in the comments — we’d love to see them!

You’ve now worked through all 31 separable prefix verbs built from “gehen” — from everyday expressions like ausgehen and losgehen to formal and B2/C1-level verbs like ergehen and einhergehen mit. You’ve also seen how the separable verb structure works in German sentences and how register affects which verb to choose in a given context. To keep building your German vocabulary with structured lessons, native-speaker audio, and progress tracking from A1 to B2, visit lingoni.com/german.