abmachen

Abmachen is a German verb with several related meanings, primarily used in everyday speech. It is separable, so in present and past tenses the prefix ab- moves to the end of the clause. The core ideas are to arrange or agree on something, to remove or detach something, and, as an adjective, to indicate that a plan or deal has been settled.

One common meaning is to arrange or agree on a plan, appointment, or meeting. It is often followed by a direct object such as einen Termin, eine Verabredung, or simply a time. For example: Wir machen morgen einen Termin ab. Hast du schon etwas abgemacht? Es ist abgemacht. In this sense abmachen is somewhat interchangeable with vereinbaren or absprechen, though abmachen is more colloquial.

A second meaning is to remove or detach something that is attached. Used with objects like den Aufkleber, das Schild, oder die Kette, it denotes physically taking something off. For example: Ich muss noch den Aufkleber abmachen. Hier kann auch das reflexive or modal construction appear, depending on context.

The participle form abgemacht is used as an adjective or in fixed expressions to indicate that an agreement has been reached. For instance, Es ist abgemacht or Wir haben alles abgemacht. The sense is close to “settled” or “agreed upon,” and it is common in informal and semi-formal speech.

Usage notes: abmachen remains common across Germany, especially in casual conversation. In formal writing, more neutral terms like vereinbaren or festlegen may be preferred, while for the removal sense other verbs such as abmontieren or abziehen might be more precise depending on context.