German Grammar A–Z
Look up German grammar topics A–Z, organized by category and level — with clear explanations and examples.
Meanings of the Verb machen with Different Prefixes
As you know, German verbs are often combined with prefixes (Präfix). Each combination produces a new meaning, and understanding the meaning and usage is a challenge for learners of German. This is a series of articles on how to distinguish the meanings of verbs that share the same stem but have different prefixes. In this article, the meaning of the verb machen when combined with prefixes (Präfix) will be explained.
Let's get started!
The basic meaning of the verb machen is to do/to make.
Examples: - Das macht im ganzen 20 Mark. (That comes to 20 marks in total.)
- So macht man das! (So that's how it's done!)
- Mach doch! (Go ahead and do it!)
- Ich habe Hausaufgaben gemacht. (I did my homework!)
In addition, when combined with other prefixes, the verb machen also takes on a variety of meanings:
| prefix + machen | Meaning | Example |
| einmachen | to preserve | Wir machen Orangen ein und kochen eine Marmelade. (We preserve oranges and cook jam.) |
| hinmachen | to kill to add, to hang to relieve oneself (urinate/defecate) | Er hat sie hingemacht. (He killed her.) Das F enster gefällt mir gut, aber ich würde noch Vorhänge hinmachen. (I like the window, but I would hang curtains as well.) Dort hat ein Hund hingemacht. (A dog did its business there.) |
| wegmachen | to remove (a stain) | Kannst du diesen Fleck wegmachen? (Can you remove this stain?) |
| abmachen | to arrange, to agree on to remove, to take off | Ich habe schon mit Lisa abgemacht! (I have already made an arrangement with Lisa.) Kannst du das Klebeband von meinen Haaren abmachen? (Can you take the adhesive tape off my hair?) |
| mitmachen | to take part | Stell dir vor, es ist Krieg und keiner macht mit. (Imagine there is a war and nobody takes part.) |
| vormachen | to demonstrate, to show | Die Tanzlehrerin macht die Figur vor. (The dance teacher demonstrates the move.) |
| nachmachen | to copy, to imitate | Das Kind macht seiner Bruder alles nach. (The child imitates everything his brother does.) |
| durchmachen | to go through, to endure | Sie war ein Jahr im Gefängnis. Unglaublich, was sie da durchmachen musste! (She was in prison for a year. It's unbelievable what she had to go through!) Mit dem neuen Virus machen wir schwere Zeiten durch. (We are going through hard times with the new virus.) |
| vermachen | to bequeath (in a will) | Seine Oma hat ihm ein Haus vermacht. (His grandmother bequeathed a house to him.) |
| zurechtmachen | to prepare | Ich habe Kleidungen für den Ausflug zurechtgemacht. (I have prepared clothes for the trip.) |
| losmachen | to release, to detach, to untie | Mach doch den Hund los! (Untie the dog!) |
