How to Split German Words385

German words can be quite long, so it's often necessary to split them in order to fit them on a line or page. This can be a tricky task, as there are many rules to follow. Here is a guide to help you split German words correctly.

General Rules

There are a few general rules that apply to all German words:
Words are always split at the end of a syllable.
Consonant clusters should be kept together whenever possible.
Vowel digraphs (two vowels that are pronounced together as one sound) should be kept together.

Specific Rules

In addition to the general rules, there are also some specific rules that apply to certain types of words.

Prefixes and Suffixes

Prefixes and suffixes are always separated from the root word when splitting a word.

Examples:
aufmachen → auf-machen
unmöglich → un-möglich
Tischler → Tisch-ler

Compound Words

Compound words are made up of two or more words that are joined together. When splitting a compound word, the words should be split at the point where they are joined.

Examples:
Autobahn → Auto-bahn
Bundestag → Bundes-tag
Haustür → Haus-tür

Words with Umlauts

Words with umlauts (ä, ö, ü) should be split after the umlaut.

Examples:
Häuser → Häu-ser
Öfen → Ö-fen
Über → Ü-ber

Words with ß (Eszett)

Words with ß (Eszett) should be split after the ß.

Examples:
Straße → Stra-ße
daß → da-ß

Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to the rules above. For example, words that are always written together (such as niemals) should not be split. Additionally, some words may be split in different ways depending on the context. For example, the word zusammen can be split as zusam-men or zusammen-.

Conclusion

Splitting German words can be a tricky task, but if you follow the rules above, you should be able to do it correctly. Just remember to be consistent and to apply the rules to all words, even if it doesn't seem necessary.

2025-01-11

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