Understanding the German Prepositions: From Ab to Zu

What are Prepositions?

Prepositions are a part of grammar that comprises words that show the relationships between different word groups (nouns, pronouns, etc.) in a sentence. They can highlight the relativity of time, direction, place, and other logical or abstract connections. These German prepositions further indicate how, when, where, and why something is happening. If you want to have natural and clear communication skills in a language, then you ought to know the correct use of prepositions. Hence, the following segment will help you understand the various types of German prepositions along with their examples.

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Common German Prepositions

The German prepositions are a crucial part of the language. This is because these are terms that help you understand simple instructions and navigate directions. The prepositions in the language are used to connect the other elements of the sentence with the pronouns, nouns, or phrases. If you are not aware of the various German prepositions, it will be hard for you to describe the manner, direction, time, or location. Thus, the following is a list of some of the most common prepositions that you can use while conversing in German.

Overview of the Four German Cases

Using the German prepositions is not an easy feat. The reason behind it is that the language comprises four grammar cases which are essential for the proper use of prepositions. If you do not comprehend the German cases and articles, it will be difficult for you to use the prepositions in the right manner. Thus, here are the four German cases in detail:

• The nominative case focuses on the subject of a sentence.
• The accusative case deals with the direct object.
• The dative case highlights the indirect object.
• The genitive case shows possession and other relationships.

1. Nominative Case

This case usually is related to the subject of the sentence. It conveys details about what or who is doing something. Therefore, when you ask the question with who or what and get an answer, then it indicates nominative prepositions in German. It is also known as the who-case or wer-fall.

Example: Wer bellt die Frau an? (Who barks at the woman?)

Der Hund bellt die Frau an. (The dog barks at the woman.)

2. Accusative Case

Similar to the nominative case, in this also you will have to ask the question with what. However, they are not the same. It is because in the accusative case the verb has a direct effect on the noun.

Example: Sie hat ein Bild gemalt. (She painted a picture.)

What did she paint?

3. Dative Case

This case is related to the indirect object in the sentence. This object is affected by the action which is taking place. Usually, the indirect object is either benefitting or receiving something.

Example: Nelio zeigt seiner Tante das Bilderbuch. (Nelio is showing his aunt the picture book.)

4. Genitive Case

The operative question word for identifying the genitive prepositions is whose. This case is used to denote the relationship between someone or something.

Example: Whose jacket is black?

Die Jacke des Mannes ist schwarz. (The man’s jacket is black.)

Types of German Prepositions

The German prepositions can be a bit tricky as they are dependent on various cases. Moreover, some of the prepositions have a fixed case, while some can function as accusative or dative prepositions based on the context. Thus, let’s know all about the different types of prepositions in the German language.

1. Accusative Prepositions

There are a total of five major accusative prepositions in the German language. These include durch (through), für (for), gegen (against), ohne (without), and um (around). Other than these, there are many different types of these prepositions which are as follows:

Some of the examples of accusative prepositions in sentences are given below:

• Du stimmst für die XY-Partei. (You vote for the xy-party.)
• Ich laufe durch den Park. (I am walking through the forest.)
• Er fuhr gegen ein Verkehrsschild. (He drove into a traffic sign.)

2. Dative Prepositions

There are nine dative prepositions in the German language. Moreover, in a sentence, the noun following the preposition is also in the dative case. You can also pair this type of preposition with a pronoun or noun without using German adjectives or determiners. The following are the prepositions in the dative case:

A few of the examples of dative case German prepositions are as follows:

• Lisa hat ihn von der Seite angesehen. (Lisa looked at him sideways.)
• Außer der neuen Kollegin waren alle krank. (Except for the new colleague, everyone was sick.)
• Sie wohnen bei ihren Eltern. (They live with their parents.)

3. Two Way Prepositions

The two-way prepositions are a special type of German prepositions, that act as both accusative and dative cases depending on the condition they are used in. In German, if the noun changes place, then two-way prepositions are used in the accusative case. Similarly, the dative case is used if the position is not changing. The following is a list of some of the common two-way prepositions:

A few of the sentences with two-way prepositions are given below:

• Accusative case: Ich lege das Handy auf den Tisch. (I put the mobile on(to) the table.)
• Dative case: Das Handy ist auf dem Tisch. (The mobile phone is on the table.)

4. Genitive Prepositions

There are more than 12 genitive prepositions in German. These indicate the gender of the noun. A lot of native speakers don’t use this case anymore. However, for writing letters or in a formal context, the genitive case is used. The following are some of the genitive case prepositions:

Some of the examples of genitive prepositions are as follows:

• Das Handy ist auf dem Tisch. (The mobile phone is on the table.)
• Ich möchte das Hemd trotz des Preises. (I want the shirt despite the price.)
• Der Hund befindet sich außerhalb des Hauses. (The dog is outside the house.)

These are some of the different types of German prepositions along, with their examples.

Contraction of German Prepositions

In the German language, the prepositions are often combined with articles to create contractions. This combination of words makes it easier for them to use prepositions. Moreover, if you are aware of the contractions, you can understand the German phrases well. Hence, the following are some of the common combinations:

Importance of German Prepositions

The various German prepositions are crucial to express the appropriate meaning of a sentence. Moreover, using the wrong type of preposition can change the meaning of the statement. In addition to that, the following are some other ways in which the dative, accusative, genitive, and nominative prepositions are important.

• They are used to express the relationship between different clauses. For instance, auf, zu, mit, etc. denote the location, time, and other factors.
• They provide a context to the statement by showing the reason or manner.
• The prepositions in the German language add the case to the noun or pronoun which follows them.
• Various German verbs are combined with prepositions to provide meaning to a sentence.
• Lastly, if you wish to sound like a native speaker, then you need to enhance your competence by working on your prepositions.

Mistakes to Avoid with German Prepositions

Prepositions in the German language are not always the same as in English. This is the reason why a lot of learners make some common mistakes while using them. Thus, below are some of the pitfalls that you can avoid:

• Non-native speakers often do not realize that German prepositions can have more than one translation. For example, an can be at, on, in, or to.
• The prepositions take up different cases depending on the context, so it is vital to know which one is the correct case to use.
• There are a few of the prepositions that combine with the articles. Do not forget this. For example, zum: zu + dem.

The context in which the English translation of the German prepositions is used, might not be the same as in the case of German. For example, In English, we take something for a cold; in German, you take something against (gegen) a cold.

Conclusion

On the whole, the prepositions in the German language are a bit complex but regular practice can help to ace them. Further, if you want to learn German prepositions, then you can also get guidance from the counselors at Gradding. Here you can get classes, starting from A1 to C2 level German. In addition to that, our German online coaching has some of the best mentors to train you, along with a lot of other resources to enhance your proficiency.

Suggested Reads: 

• German idioms
• German tenses

FAQs

1. What are the nine German prepositions?

Some of the most common prepositions in German are as follows:

• aus (from, out of)
• neben (next to, beside)
• außer (except for, besides)
• bei (at, near, by)
• mit (with, by means of)
• nach (after, to, according to)
• seit (since, for)
• von (from, by, of, about)
• zu (to)

2. What are prepositions in German?

In the German language, prepositions are words that connect nouns and pronouns with the other sentence elements and usually precede them. For instance, unter (under), an (at), etc.

3. Is über dative or accusative?

The word ‘über’ which translates to ‘about’, is generally categorized with the accusative prepositions in German. 

4. What type of preposition is von?

Von is a dative preposition from the German language, which translates to from or of in English.

5. What is the difference between zu and auf?

Both zu and auf are German prepositions that are commonly used. However, zu is used to denote people and places, meanwhile, auf means on top of or at a public building.