separable prefixes give use more possibilities to expaned meaning of words, to create new ones, and sometimes this new words grow and the expanded meaning becomes an own new word. Here is list of prefixes ; ab, an , aus , be, bei, dar, ein , er, hin, nach, nieder, über, um unter , ver, vor, weg , zer, zu Choose one And than you put it together with a verb, and then the meaning of the verb has expanded, for exampel setzen - to sit, beisetzen - to bury Ich sitze bei jemandem, - I sit next to someone Ich setze jemanden bei - I bury sombody Beisetzung - funeral so seperal prefixes are great to creat new word´s, create some , got the word out hope the expanded meaning increases and become independend and and mabee you find your word in the "DUDEN" someday !

Silly question! You can't speak German without them!