Anmachen Examples, Sentences and Quiz in German
How do you actually use anmachen — “to switch on” — in a real sentence? This page shows you: twelve example sentences across the tenses, a short dialogue, the mistakes learners make most often with this verb, and a quiz to test yourself. Every German form on this page comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for anmachen. Start with the simplest sentence: “Ich mache das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “I switch on the light in the room.”
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for anmachen, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Anmachen in real sentences
Twelve sentences with anmachen, covering the present, the Präteritum, the Perfekt, the Plusquamperfekt, the future, Konjunktiv I and II, and the imperative. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich mache das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “I switch on the light in the room.”
- “Du machst das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “You switch on the light in the room.”
- “Er macht das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “He switches on the light in the room.”
- “Ich machte das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “I switched on the light in the room.”
- “Wir machten das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “We switched on the light in the room.”
- “Ich habe das Licht im Zimmer angemacht.” — “I have switched on the light in the room.”
- “Du hast das Licht im Zimmer angemacht.” — “You have switched on the light in the room.”
- “Ich hatte das Licht im Zimmer angemacht.” — “I had switched on the light in the room.”
- “Wir werden das Licht im Zimmer anmachen.” — “We will switch on the light in the room.”
- “Ich werde das Licht im Zimmer angemacht haben.” — “I will have switched on the light in the room.”
- “Es ist wichtig, dass ich das Licht im Zimmer anmache.” — “It is important that I switch on the light in the room.”
- “Ich machte das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “I would switch on the light in the room if I could.”
- “Ich hätte das Licht im Zimmer angemacht.” — “I would have switched on the light in the room if I had been able to.”
- “Mach das Licht im Zimmer an!” — “Switch on the light in the room!”
A short dialogue with anmachen
Anna and Ben talk about their plans. Every form of anmachen in the dialogue comes from the verified tables — read it aloud, changing the person each time.
Anna: “Du machst das Licht im Zimmer an?” — “You switch on the light in the room?”
Ben: “Ich mache das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “I switch on the light in the room.”
Anna: “Du hast das Licht im Zimmer angemacht?” — “You have switched on the light in the room?”
Ben: “Ich habe das Licht im Zimmer angemacht.” — “I have switched on the light in the room.”
Anna: “Du wirst das Licht im Zimmer anmachen?” — “You will switch on the light in the room?”
Ben: “Ich werde das Licht im Zimmer anmachen.” — “I will switch on the light in the room.”
Anna: “Mach das Licht im Zimmer an!” — “Switch on the light in the room!”
Ben: “Ich mache das Licht im Zimmer an.” — “I switch on the light in the room.”
Notice how the verb changes with the person and the tense while the meaning stays the same: mache an, machst an, habe angemacht, werde anmachen. If you can follow this dialogue without looking at the tables, you know anmachen well enough to use it.
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich anmachen das Licht im Zimmer.”
✓ Right: “Ich mache das Licht im Zimmer an.”
The infinitive anmachen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form mache an.
2. Confusing anmachen with ausmachen
✗ Wrong: “Ich ausmachen das Licht im Zimmer.” (using the wrong verb)
✓ Right: “Ich mache das Licht im Zimmer an.”
anmachen means “to switch on”; ausmachen means “to agree”. Keep the two verbs apart by their meaning, not by their sound.
3. Forgetting to split the separable prefix
✗ Wrong: “Ich anmachen das Licht im Zimmer.” (prefix left attached to the stem)
✓ Right: “Ich mache das Licht im Zimmer an.”
anmachen is separable: in finite forms the prefix an goes to the end of the clause — mache an — and the participle keeps it attached with ge- in between (angemacht).
4. Using the indicative after a Konjunktiv I trigger
✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass du das Licht im Zimmer anmachst.”
✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass du das Licht im Zimmer anmachest.”
After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use machest an here, not the indicative machst an.
Quiz: test yourself
What is the ich form of anmachen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) mache an
- B) machen an
- C) machst an
- D) macht an
What is the er/sie/es form of anmachen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) machen an
- B) mache an
- C) macht an
- D) machst an
What is the du form of anmachen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) machtest an
- B) machtet an
- C) machte an
- D) machten an
What is the wir form of anmachen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) haben angemacht
- B) habt angemacht
- C) hast angemacht
- D) habe angemacht
What is the ich form of anmachen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wird anmachen
- B) werde anmachen
- C) werdet anmachen
- D) wirst anmachen
What is the du form of anmachen in the Konjunktiv II?
- A) machtest an
- B) machtet an
- C) machte an
- D) machten an
What is the ich form of anmachen in the Conditional perfect?
- A) hätte angemacht
- B) hättet angemacht
- C) hätten angemacht
- D) hättest angemacht
What is the past participle of anmachen?
- A) mache an
- B) anmachend
- C) angemacht
- D) machte an
What is the present participle of anmachen?
- A) werde anmachen
- B) anmachend
- C) mache an
- D) angemacht
What does anmachen mean in English?
- A) to come
- B) to switch on
- C) to do
- D) to agree
Answer key
- A) mache an — the ich form of anmachen in the present tense is mache an.
- C) macht an — the er/sie/es form of anmachen in the present tense is macht an.
- A) machtest an — the du form of anmachen in the preterite is machtest an.
- A) haben angemacht — the wir form of anmachen in the Perfekt is haben angemacht.
- B) werde anmachen — the ich form of anmachen in the Futur I is werde anmachen.
- A) machtest an — the du form of anmachen in the Konjunktiv II is machtest an.
- A) hätte angemacht — the ich form of anmachen in the conditional perfect is hätte angemacht.
- C) angemacht — the past participle of anmachen is angemacht; perfect tenses use haben + angemacht.
- B) anmachend — the present participle of anmachen is anmachend.
- B) to switch on — anmachen means “to switch on” in English.
Frequently asked questions
What does anmachen mean in English?
anmachen means “to switch on”. The examples above show it in everyday situations — for example, “Ich mache das Licht im Zimmer an.” (“I switch on the light in the room.”).
Is anmachen regular or irregular?
anmachen is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. The full tables are on the conjugation page.
How do I use anmachen in the Perfekt?
Use haben + the past participle angemacht: “Ich habe das Licht im Zimmer angemacht.” — “I have switched on the light in the room.” The full Perfekt table is on the conjugation page.
Related pages
- anmachen conjugation — the full conjugation tables for this verb in every tense.
- anmachen in the present tense — the full table and uses for this verb in one tense.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- German irregular verbs — every common irregular German verb, grouped by pattern.
- Einladen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Treffen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Verb Conjugator — practise anmachen with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise anmachen with the interactive tool.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise the present tense with the interactive tool.
- VerbFlow home — back to the start.