wordmark

German - Prepositions

Prepositions are one of the most important building blocks in German. They are small words that connect nouns or pronouns to the rest of a sentence, showing relationships of time, place, or logic.

The most crucial thing to understand about German prepositions is that they govern a case. This means that a preposition forces the noun that follows it into a specific case (Accusative, Dative, or Genitive). This is a non-negotiable rule.

Therefore, the best way to learn prepositions is by categorizing them according to the case they demand.

1. Prepositions That ONLY Take the Accusative Case

These are a small, defined group of very common prepositions. You must memorize them. A common mnemonic to remember them is DOG F. WUH (the F.WUH part is less common).

  • Durch - through
    • Wir fahren durch den Tunnel. (We are driving through the tunnel.)
  • Ohne - without
    • Ich trinke Kaffee ohne den Zucker. (I drink coffee without the sugar.)
  • Gegen - against, into
    • Er ist gegen die Wand gelaufen. (He ran into the wall.)
  • Für - for
    • Das Geschenk ist für dich. (The present is for you.)
  • Wider - against (more formal than gegen)
  • Um - around, at (for time)
    • Wir gehen um den See. (We are walking around the lake.)
    • Der Film beginnt um 20 Uhr. (The film starts at 8 p.m.)
  • Hentlang - along (this one is unusual as it often comes after the noun)
    • Wir gehen den Fluss entlang. (We are walking along the river.)

No matter what, the noun following one of these words will always be in the Accusative case.

2. Prepositions That ONLY Take the Dative Case

This is a larger, but also very common and essential group of prepositions.

  • Aus - from, out of
    • Er kommt aus der Schweiz. (He comes from Switzerland.)
  • Außer - except for, besides
    • Alle außer mir sind da. (Everyone except for me is here.)
  • Bei - at, near, with (at someone's house)
    • Ich bin beim Arzt. (I am at the doctor's.) - beim is a contraction of bei dem.
  • Mit - with
    • Ich fahre mit dem Zug. (I am traveling by/with the train.)
  • Nach - after, to (for cities/countries without an article)
    • Wir fahren nach Berlin. (We are going to Berlin.)
    • Nach der Arbeit gehe ich nach Hause. (After work, I go home.)
  • Seit - since, for (time)
    • Ich lerne seit einem Jahr Deutsch. (I have been learning German for a year.)
  • Von - from, by
    • Das Geschenk ist von meinem Bruder. (The gift is from my brother.)
  • Zu - to, at
    • Ich gehe zum Supermarkt. (I am going to the supermarket.) - zum is a contraction of zu dem.
  • Gegenüber - opposite, across from (can come before or after the noun)
    • Er sitzt mir gegenüber. (He is sitting opposite me.)

3. Two-Way Prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)

This is a special and very important group of nine prepositions that can take either the Dative or the Accusative case. The case you use depends on the meaning you want to convey.

The Rule:

  • Use the Accusative case if there is motion or a change of location towards a destination. It answers the question "Where to?" (Wohin?).
  • Use the Dative case if there is a static location or no change in position. It answers the question "Where?" (Wo?).

The Prepositions:

  • an - on (a vertical surface), at
  • auf - on (a horizontal surface), on top of
  • hinter - behind
  • in - in, into
  • neben - next to, beside
  • über - over, above, across
  • unter - under, below
  • vor - in front of, before
  • zwischen - between

Examples:

  • Accusative (Motion): Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (I am laying the book onto the table.)

    • There is a change of location. The book is moving from my hand to the table.

  • Dative (Location): Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book is lying on the table.)

    • The location is static. The book is not moving.

  • Accusative (Motion): Wir gehen ins Kino. (ins = in das) (We are going into the cinema.)

    • We are moving from outside to inside.

  • Dative (Location): Wir sind im Kino. (im = in dem) (We are in the cinema.)

    • We are at a fixed location inside.

4. Prepositions That Take the Genitive Case

This group is used in more formal, written German. In everyday speech, they are often replaced with Dative constructions.

  • Während - during
    • Während des Films hat er geschlafen. (During the movie, he slept.)
  • (An)statt - instead of
    • Er hat Tee statt des Kaffees getrunken. (He drank tea instead of the coffee.)
  • Trotz - despite, in spite of
    • Trotz des Regens gehen wir spazieren. (Despite the rain, we are going for a walk.)
  • Wegen - because of
    • Wegen des Sturms bleiben wir zu Hause. (Because of the storm, we are staying home.)

Note on Spoken German: In conversation, you will very often hear trotz and wegen used with the Dative case (e.g., trotz dem Regen, wegen dem Sturm). While grammatically incorrect in a formal sense, this is extremely common.