German Prepositions: Complete Guide with Cases & Examples
Introduction: What Are German Prepositions?
Prepositions are small words that show relationships between other words in a sentence—relationships of place, time, direction, manner, and more. If you want to master German prepositions explained simply, think of them as the glue connecting nouns and pronouns to the rest of your sentence.
What makes German prepositions particularly challenging is that each preposition requires a specific grammatical case. This means the articles and adjective endings following the preposition must change accordingly. Understanding how to use prepositions in German is therefore essential for building correct sentences.
German prepositions fall into four main categories based on the case they govern:
- Accusative prepositions – always take the accusative case
- Dative prepositions – always take the dative case
- Two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen) – take accusative for movement, dative for location
- Genitive prepositions – take the genitive case (more formal/written German)
Formation: Prepositions and Their Cases
To learn German prepositions effectively, you must memorize which case each preposition takes. Below are the most common prepositions organized by case.
Accusative Prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| durch | through | durch den Park (through the park) |
| für | for | für meinen Bruder (for my brother) |
| gegen | against | gegen die Wand (against the wall) |
| ohne | without | ohne einen Fehler (without a mistake) |
| um | around, at (time) | um den Tisch (around the table) |
| bis | until, to | bis nächsten Montag (until next Monday) |
| entlang | along | den Fluss entlang (along the river) |
Memory tip: Use the acronym DOGFUB (durch, ohne, gegen, für, um, bis) to remember the accusative prepositions.
Dative Prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aus | out of, from | aus dem Haus (out of the house) |
| außer | except for, besides | außer mir (except for me) |
| bei | at, near, with | bei meiner Tante (at my aunt's) |
| mit | with | mit dem Auto (with the car) |
| nach | after, to (cities/countries) | nach der Schule (after school) |
| seit | since, for (time) | seit einem Jahr (for a year) |
| von | from, of | von meinem Freund (from my friend) |
| zu | to | zum Arzt (to the doctor) |
| gegenüber | opposite, across from | gegenüber dem Bahnhof (opposite the station) |
Memory tip: The phrase "Aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu" is often learned as a rhyme by German students.
Two-Way Prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)
These nine prepositions are crucial for understanding German prepositions explained fully. They take the accusative case when indicating movement or direction (answering wohin? – where to?) and the dative case when indicating location (answering wo? – where?).
| Preposition | Meaning | Accusative (motion) | Dative (location) |
|---|---|---|---|
| an | at, on (vertical) | an die Wand | an der Wand |
| auf | on (horizontal) | auf den Tisch | auf dem Tisch |
| hinter | behind | hinter das Haus | hinter dem Haus |
| in | in, into | in die Stadt | in der Stadt |
| neben | next to | neben den Stuhl | neben dem Stuhl |
| über | over, above | über die Brücke | über der Brücke |
| unter | under | unter das Bett | unter dem Bett |
| vor | in front of, before | vor das Tor | vor dem Tor |
| zwischen | between | zwischen die Bücher | zwischen den Büchern |
Genitive Prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| während | during | während des Sommers (during the summer) |
| wegen | because of | wegen des Wetters (because of the weather) |
| trotz | despite | trotz des Regens (despite the rain) |
| statt/anstatt | instead of | statt eines Geschenks (instead of a gift) |
| außerhalb | outside of | außerhalb der Stadt (outside the city) |
| innerhalb | within | innerhalb einer Woche (within a week) |
Note: In spoken German, wegen, trotz, and während are increasingly used with the dative case, though the genitive remains correct in formal writing.
Usage: When and How to Use German Prepositions
Understanding how to use prepositions in German goes beyond memorizing lists. Here are the key principles:
1. Contractions
Many prepositions contract with definite articles in everyday speech and writing:
- an + dem = am (at the)
- an + das = ans (to the)
- bei + dem = beim (at the)
- in + dem = im (in the)
- in + das = ins (into the)
- von + dem = vom (from the)
- zu + dem = zum (to the)
- zu + der = zur (to the)
2. Two-Way Prepositions: The Motion vs. Location Rule
This is one of the most important concepts when you learn German prepositions:
- Accusative (Wohin? – Where to?): Use when there is movement toward a destination.
Ich gehe in die Küche. (I'm going into the kitchen.) - Dative (Wo? – Where?): Use when describing a static location.
Ich bin in der Küche. (I'm in the kitchen.)
3. Prepositions with Time Expressions
- um – for specific clock times: um 8 Uhr (at 8 o'clock)
- am – for days and parts of day: am Montag, am Abend
- im – for months and seasons: im Januar, im Winter
- seit – for duration starting in the past: seit zwei Jahren (for two years)
- vor – for "ago": vor einer Woche (a week ago)
4. Prepositions with Verbs
Many German verbs require specific prepositions (prepositional verbs). The preposition often differs from English:
- warten auf (+ acc.) – to wait for
- sich freuen auf (+ acc.) – to look forward to
- sich freuen über (+ acc.) – to be happy about
- denken an (+ acc.) – to think of
- Angst haben vor (+ dat.) – to be afraid of
Examples: German Prepositions in Context
Here are practical German prepositions examples to help solidify your understanding:
Die Katze springt auf den Tisch.
The cat jumps onto the table. (Accusative – motion toward)
Die Katze schläft auf dem Tisch.
The cat is sleeping on the table. (Dative – location)
Wir fahren mit dem Zug nach Berlin.
We're traveling by train to Berlin. (Dative – mit; nach for cities without articles)
Sie arbeitet seit drei Jahren bei dieser Firma.
She has been working at this company for three years. (Dative – seit, bei)
Er hat das Buch für seine Schwester gekauft.
He bought the book for his sister. (Accusative – für)
Trotz des schlechten Wetters gingen wir spazieren.
Despite the bad weather, we went for a walk. (Genitive – trotz)
Das Restaurant befindet sich gegenüber dem Bahnhof.
The restaurant is located opposite the train station. (Dative – gegenüber)
Ich warte schon seit einer Stunde auf dich!
I've been waiting for you for an hour! (Dative – seit; Accusative – auf with warten)
Common Mistakes: What Learners Often Get Wrong
When studying German prepositions explained in textbooks, learners frequently make these errors:
1. Using the Wrong Case with Two-Way Prepositions
Incorrect: Ich bin in die Küche.
Correct: Ich bin in der Küche.
Remember: No motion = dative. The verb sein (to be) indicates a static state.
2. Translating Prepositions Directly from English
Incorrect: Ich denke über dich. (thinking "about")
Correct: Ich denke an dich.
German verb-preposition combinations rarely match English. Learn them as fixed phrases.
3. Confusing "nach" and "zu"
Incorrect: Ich gehe nach dem Supermarkt.
Correct: Ich gehe zum Supermarkt.
nach is used for cities, countries (without articles), and Hause. Use zu for specific places and people.
4. Forgetting Contractions
Awkward: Ich gehe zu dem Arzt.
Natural: Ich gehe zum Arzt.
While not grammatically wrong, failing to contract sounds unnatural in most contexts.
5. Misusing "bei" vs. "mit"
Incorrect: Ich wohne mit meiner Tante. (I live with my aunt – implies romantic relationship)
Correct: Ich wohne bei meiner Tante. (I live at my aunt's place)
bei indicates location/residence; mit indicates accompaniment or means.
6. Using Genitive When Dative Is Expected in Speech
Overly formal: Wegen des Staus kam ich zu spät.
Conversational: Wegen dem Stau kam ich zu spät.
While genitive is grammatically "correct" for wegen, dative is widely accepted in spoken German. However, in formal writing, stick to the genitive.
7. Forgetting That "entlang" Comes After the Noun
Incorrect: Ich gehe entlang den Fluss.
Correct: Ich gehe den Fluss entlang.
Unlike most prepositions, entlang follows the noun when used with accusative (though it can precede with dative/genitive in formal registers).