Healthy Living: Vocabulary and Separable Verbs
Learn the German for the body, food and healthy habits, and master separable verbs like aufstehen and abnehmen, where the prefix jumps to the end of the sentence.
Practise it before the paper, not after
Free, interactive practice on the words and structures the examiner keeps asking for.
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Health and a grammar trick
This module does two jobs. First, it gives you the German to talk about your body, food and healthy habits. Second, it teaches a key grammar point: separable verbs. In these verbs a little prefix breaks off and jumps to the end of the sentence. Master both and you can talk about staying healthy.
Health words in German
Start with four useful health words. Each German word is shown with its English meaning.
Match the word
- gesund
- krank
- der Körper
- der Arzt
- Healthy
- Ill
- The body
- The doctor
Find the word
Which German word means "healthy"?
- gesund
- krank
- der Körper
- der Zucker
The verb splits
A separable verb has two forms: the dictionary form, and the split form you use in a sentence.
Match the split form
- abnehmen
- zunehmen
- aufstehen
- einkaufen
- ich nehme ab
- ich nehme zu
- ich stehe auf
- ich kaufe ein
The separable verb rule
In a separable verb, the prefix (ab, zu, auf, ein) breaks off in the present tense and jumps to the END of the sentence. So aufstehen becomes ich stehe ... auf, and einkaufen becomes ich kaufe ... ein. The main verb still changes as normal.
Health words and verbs in German
The German for healthy is _____, and for ill it is _____. The word for the body is der _____. The verb _____ means to lose weight, and in a sentence it splits, so I lose weight is ich nehme _____.
Healthy habits
Which of these German phrases are healthy habits? Choose all that apply.
- gesund essen
- Sport machen
- gut schlafen
- rauchen
- zu viel Zucker essen
Correctly separated?
Tap the two sentences that use the separable verb correctly.
- Ich stehe früh auf.
- Ich nehme ab.
- Ich abnehme.
- Ich aufstehe früh.
Build the sentence
Put the words in order to say "I go shopping at the supermarket every day", with the separable prefix last.
- Ich
- kaufe
- jeden Tag
- im Supermarkt
- ein
The er form of a separable verb
Abnehmen means to lose weight, and it is separable. Which sentence says that he is losing weight?
- Er nimmt ab
- Er nehmt ab
- Er abnimmt
- Er nimmt abnehmen
Advise and check
Help a friend with healthy living and German grammar. Choose the best answer each time.
- Which of these is healthy advice?
- Which sentence uses the separable verb aufstehen correctly?
- Which German word means the body?
Healthy living, in German
Write a few sentences in German about healthy living. Use at least one separable verb such as aufstehen or abnehmen.
- Say one healthy thing you eat or do
- Use one separable verb correctly, with the prefix at the end
- Say one thing you should avoid