Translation, Application and Use of Prepositions in German | Prepositions in German are one of the fundamental things to learn when starting to learn the language. They are widely used in German and serve to connect sentences.
If you want to be able to develop a conversation that goes beyond the simple "subject-verb" approach, then you absolutely must study German prepositions, which will allow you to enrich your sentences with place, time, or cause complements.
The topic is already broad in itself, but the special cases of verbs with prepositions in German mean there's even more to learn. So, let's not waste time talking and start delving deeper into the topic: to help you better understand it, we'll enrich this article with examples, translations, and exercises to test your acquired skills.
Prepositions are among the first things you need when learning German, because they link the parts of a sentence and add information about place, time, and cause. What makes German prepositions distinctive is that each one governs a grammatical case, and a special group, the Wechselpräpositionen, switches between two cases depending on meaning. This guide from SPRACHCAFFE covers prepositions of place and time, the two-way rule, verb+preposition combinations, and the contracted forms, with an exercise and answers.
Prepositions and cases
A German preposition always stands in front of a noun, pronoun, or adverb and introduces a complement. Crucially, it also determines the case of what follows. German has four cases (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive), and prepositions govern the accusative, dative, or genitive.
Two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)
Nine prepositions of place can take either the accusative or the dative, depending on the meaning of the verb:
an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen
The rule is about movement versus position:
Accusative when there is movement towards a destination (answers Wohin? - where to?).
Dative when there is a fixed position (answers Wo? - where?).
Compare:
Accusative (movement, Wohin?)
Dative (position, Wo?)
Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (I put the book onto the table.)
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book is on the table.)
Sie geht in den Park. (She goes into the park.)
Sie ist im Park. (She is in the park.)
Ich hänge die Lampe über den Tisch. (I hang the lamp above the table.)
Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch. (The lamp hangs above the table.)
A handy trick: if the verb is like legen/stellen (to lay/place), use the accusative; if it is like liegen/stehen (to lie/stand), use the dative.
Prepositions of place and time
Prepositions of place
Prepositions of place answer Wo? (where), Woher? (from where), or Wohin? (where to). Common ones include:
an (at, on a vertical surface): Ich sitze an meinem Schreibtisch. (I sit at my desk.)
auf (on a horizontal surface, with contact): Das Notizbuch liegt auf dem Tisch. / Du hast eine Brille auf dem Kopf. (You have glasses on your head.)
über (above, without contact): Der Himmel ist über dem Meer.
aus (out of, origin): Ich komme aus Madrid.
von (from, source): Papier entsteht aus Zellulose.
in (in, inside enclosed spaces): Warst du jemals in diesem Kino? (Have you ever been to this cinema?)
Prepositions of time
These answer Wann? (when), Wie lange? (how long), Seit wann? (since when), or Ab wann? (from when). The most common, with correct meanings:
Preposition
Meaning
um
at (a clock time)
am
on (a day/date)
im
in (a month/season)
vor
before / ago
nach
after
bis (zu)
until / up to
seit
since / for
gegen
around (approximate time)
während
during
ab
from (a starting point)
von … bis
from … to
Examples: Ich bin im August geboren. (I was born in August.) / Seit zehn Jahren lebe ich hier. (I've lived here for ten years.) / Wir sehen uns um 5. (See you at 5.) / Redet nicht während des Films. (Don't talk during the film.) / Ich fange ab dem 15. Februar an zu arbeiten. (I start work from 15 February.)
Verbs with fixed prepositions
Many German verbs are always followed by a particular preposition, which then fixes the case of the complement.
Verb + preposition (accusative): - with an: denken an (to think about), glauben an (to believe in), sich erinnern an (to remember), sich gewöhnen an (to get used to) - with auf: warten auf (to wait for), hoffen auf (to hope for), sich freuen auf (to look forward to), reagieren auf (to react to), sich vorbereiten auf (to prepare for) - with in: sich verlieben in (to fall in love with), übersetzen in (to translate into), sich verwandeln in (to turn into) - with über: lachen über (to laugh at), sich ärgern über (to be annoyed about), sprechen über (to talk about), nachdenken über (to reflect on) - with um: bitten um (to ask for), sich sorgen um (to worry about), sich streiten um (to argue over), gehen um (to be about)
Verb + preposition (dative): - with mit: beginnen mit (to start with), sprechen mit (to speak with), sich treffen mit (to meet with), verheiratet sein mit (to be married to) - with von: halten von (to think of), leben von (to live on), träumen von (to dream of), erwarten von (to expect from) - with zu: gehören zu (to belong to), einladen zu (to invite to), raten zu (to advise) - with vor: Angst haben vor (to be afraid of), warnen vor (to warn about), fliehen vor (to flee from) - with bei: sich bedanken bei (to thank someone), sich entschuldigen bei (to apologise to), sich erkundigen bei (to enquire with) - with nach: fragen nach (to ask about), riechen nach (to smell of), sich sehnen nach (to long for) - with an (dative): arbeiten an (to work on), leiden an (to suffer from), zweifeln an (to doubt)
Prepositions with the genitive: anstatt (instead of), außerhalb (outside), innerhalb (inside), trotz (despite), wegen (because of), während (during), dank (thanks to), oberhalb (above), unterhalb (below), jenseits (beyond). Example: Ich ging wegen der Brustschmerzen zum Arzt. (I went to the doctor because of the chest pain.)
Contracted prepositions
Some prepositions merge with the definite article: am (an + dem), im (in + dem), beim (bei + dem), zum (zu + dem), zur (zu + der), ins (in + das), fürs (für + das).
Exercise: choose the right preposition
Ich war bis acht ___ der Arbeit. (at work)
Ich habe ___ Joes Lehrer gesprochen. (with)
Reden wir ___ Fußball. (about)
Wir gingen ___ dieses Restaurant am Meer. (to → movement)
Wir waren ___ Sommer in New York. (in the summer)
Warum liegt der Hut ___ dem Bett? (on)
Ich komme ___ weit her. (from)
Er fand es ___ einer Truhe. (in)
Answer key: 1. bei 2. mit 3. über 4. in (+ accusative: in dieses) 5. im 6. auf 7. von 8. in
