Noun + verb combinations
die Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen
Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen are fixed pairs of a noun and a verb that together express a single action (eine Entscheidung treffen = to make a decision).
Sometimes German prefers a noun + verb phrase (eine Entscheidung treffen) over a simple verb. You meet it constantly in business German and formal writing.
The idea: actions built with a noun
ShortcutInstead of a plain verb, German often uses a more formal “noun + function verb (Funktionsverb)” combination. The meaning sits in the noun, not in the verb.
Ich muss entscheiden.
I have to decide. (plain)
Ich muss eine Entscheidung treffen.
I have to make a decision. (more formal)
These phrases (Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen) score points in the news, in business meetings and in exams (the B1/B2 Schreibteil).
You already do this in English
English does the same thing: instead of “to ask” we say “to put a question”, instead of “to decide” we “make a decision”, and instead of “to say goodbye” we “take our leave”. German has the same kind of set phrases — but the verb is fixed and you cannot swap it freely. German “takes” a farewell: Abschied nehmen.
| Plain verb | Nomen-Verb-Verbindung | Built with |
|---|---|---|
| fragen | eine Frage stellen | stellen (to put) |
| antworten | eine Antwort geben | geben (to give) |
| beantragen | einen Antrag stellen | stellen (to put) |
| helfen | Hilfe leisten | leisten (to provide) |
Building the verbs in this table with “machen” is the most common mistake.
Table: the five most common ones
You do not have to memorise the whole list. These five are more than enough for the B1 exam and everyday office life.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| eine Entscheidung treffen | to make a decision | Wir treffen eine Entscheidung. |
| Abschied nehmen | to say goodbye | Ich nehme Abschied von dir. |
| zur Verfügung stehen | to be available | Das Dokument steht zur Verfügung. |
| eine Rede halten | to give a speech | Der Chef hält eine Rede. |
| in Kauf nehmen | to accept · to put up with | Ich nehme das in Kauf. |
Some of these always go with a particular preposition (e.g. Abschied nehmen von + Dativ).
Word-order trap: the noun splits from the verb
Gluing the noun phrase to the conjugated verb
In a simple main clause with a single conjugated verb, the noun part usually does not stick to the verb. Like the prefix of a separable verb, it tends to go to the end of the sentence, and time and place words slot in between. This is a strong tendency rather than a strict rule: with the noun near the end, the sentence sounds natural. With a modal verb, in the Perfekt or in a subordinate clause, the main verb stays at the end as usual.
Wir treffen eine wichtige Entscheidung heute.
Unnatural order. The time word (heute) belongs in the middle, the noun phrase goes to the end.
Wir treffen heute eine wichtige Entscheidung.
Correct order.
What you just learned
Der Politiker hat gestern eine Rede ___.
Show the answer
gehalten — To give a speech -> eine Rede halten. The Perfekt is “hat ... gehalten”.
Die Maschine steht zur ___.
Show the answer
Verfügung — zur Verfügung stehen means “to be available”. The phrase is frozen; zur and Verfügung never separate.
Build the sentence: The teacher asks a question.
Show the answer
Der Lehrer stellt eine Frage — Subject (Der Lehrer) + verb (stellt) + the noun of the phrase (eine Frage).
The part nobody tells you: machen does not work everywhere
Because English says “make a decision”, everyone learning German wants to say “eine Entscheidung machen”. But in German, machen combines with very few nouns. Most of the time you need a specific verb such as stellen, treffen or leisten. Putting “machen” everywhere makes your sentences sound artificial.
Build the sentence yourself
Tap the words and put them in order. This is the hardest part of German — and there are no options to pick from, you build it.
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tap the words
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tap the words
Know this before the test
The core of the topic in three lines, then the mistakes people make most often.
- Learn the phrases as a whole
A noun always pairs with one particular verb. It is “Frage stellen”, not “Frage machen”.
einen Antrag stellen
Er macht eine Entscheidung.
Er trifft eine Entscheidung.
You do not “make” (machen) a decision in German — you “meet” it: treffen.
Test yourself
Tap an answer — we will look at why together.
Ich muss heute eine wichtige Entscheidung .
I have to make an important decision today.
Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage ?
May I ask you a question?
Er möchte einen Antrag auf Urlaub .
He wants to apply for leave.
Die Maschine steht zur .
The machine is available for use.
Wir Abschied von unserem Kollegen.
We are saying goodbye to our colleague.
Ich gebe dir darauf bald eine .
I’ll give you an answer to that soon.
Practice done — –
To finish the topic, take the full test: score 60% and it is marked as done on your level path.
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Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen worksheet
This whole page — tables, traps, examples — as one PDF. Download it, print it, run through it before the exam.
Related topics
Verb + preposition
Ich warte auf dich
warten auf, denken an — the preposition a verb demands, plus wo(r)-/da(r)-.
Akkusativ & Dativ
the full article table
Accusative vs dative: what actually changes, and what never moves at all.
Compound nouns
Handschuh · Krankenhaus · Arbeitszimmer
German compound nouns are nouns built from two or more words stuck together: Handschuh, Krankenhaus, Arbeitszimmer.