All About German Prepositions

German prepositions, like in other languages, are words that establish relationships between the elements of a sentence. They indicate relationships of place, time, cause, purpose, and more.

Categories (types) of German prepositions

German prepositions can be classified according to their function in the language. This categorization helps us better understand their use and meaning in different contexts.

Local prepositions (of place)

Local prepositions indicate position or movement in space. They are used to describe where something is or where it is moving to. Many of these prepositions can be two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen), switching between accusative (for movement or direction) and dative (for a static location).

Temporal prepositions (of time)

Temporal prepositions are used to express when an action occurs or for how long something happens. These prepositions help to place events in time or to describe durations.

Modal prepositions (of mode or manner)

Modal prepositions describe how an action is performed. They are used to express the mode, manner, or means by which something is carried out.

Causal prepositions (of cause or reason)

Causal prepositions are used to indicate the reason or motive for an action or situation. These prepositions help to establish cause-and-effect relationships in the language.

Table of prepositions by category

Local	Temporal	Modal	Causal
in (in, into) auf (on, onto) unter (under) über (over, above) vor (in front of) hinter (behind) neben (next to) zwischen (between) an (at, on) bei (near, at the home of)	um (at [time]) am (on [day]) im (in [month/season]) vor (ago, before) nach (after) seit (since, for) bis (until) während (during) ab (from [time] onwards) von ... bis (from ... until)	mit (with) ohne (without) durch (through) per (by [means]) mittels (by means of) laut (according to) gemäß (in accordance with) zufolge (according to)	wegen (because of) aufgrund (due to) infolge (as a result of) dank (thanks to) halber (for the sake of) vor (out of [emotion]) aus (for [reason])

It is important to note that some prepositions can belong to multiple categories depending on the context in which they are used. For example, "vor" can be local (in front of), temporal (before), or causal (out of [emotion]). The specific use is determined by the context of the sentence.

Prepositions govern cases in German

In German, prepositions can govern different cases: accusative, dative, genitive, or even two cases depending on the context.

It is crucial to know which case each preposition requires to use articles and endings correctly.

Accusative	Dative	Genitive	Accusative or Dative
durch (through) für (for) gegen (against) ohne (without) um (around) bis (until) entlang (along) wider (against)	aus (from, out of) außer (except for) bei (at, with) mit (with) nach (after, to) seit (since, for) von (from, of) zu (to, at) gegenüber (opposite) ab (from)	während (during) wegen (because of) (an)statt (instead of) trotz (despite) innerhalb (inside of) außerhalb (outside of) aufgrund (due to) infolge (as a result of)	an (on, at) auf (on, onto) hinter (behind) in (in, into) neben (next to) über (over, about) unter (under) vor (in front of) zwischen (between)

Let's look at some examples:

Prepositions governing the accusative:

Here are some examples of use:

"Ich gehe durch den Park."

(I am going through the park.)

"Sie kauft ein Geschenk für ihre Mutter."

(She is buying a gift for her mother.)

"Der Hund läuft um das Haus."

(The dog runs around the house.)

Prepositions governing the dative:

Here are some examples of use:

"Ich wohne bei meinen Eltern."

(I live with my parents.)

"Er kommt aus Deutschland."

(He comes from Germany.)

"Wir fahren mit dem Auto."

(We are traveling by car.)

Prepositions governing the genitive:

Here are some examples of use:

"Wegen des schlechten Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause."

(Because of the bad weather, we are staying home.)

"Während des Konzerts blieb das Publikum still."

(During the concert, the audience remained silent.)

"Trotz der Schwierigkeiten hat er es geschafft."

(Despite the difficulties, he managed it.)

Prepositions that can govern accusative or dative (Wechselpräpositionen):

These prepositions depend on whether the verb implies movement (accusative) or a static state (dative).

With Accusative (movement):

Examples of movement with two-way prepositions:

"Ich gehe in den Park."

(I am going into the park.)

"Sie stellt die Vase auf den Tisch."

(She places the vase onto the table.)

"Der Vogel fliegt über das Haus."

(The bird flies over the house.)

With Dative (state):

Examples of static position with two-way prepositions:

"Ich bin im Park."

(I am in the park.)

"Die Vase steht auf dem Tisch."

(The vase is standing on the table.)

"Die Wolken hängen über der Stadt."

(The clouds are hanging over the city.)

Placement and use in a sentence

Prepositions usually come before the noun or pronoun they modify. In some cases, especially in colloquial or poetic language, they can be found at the end of the sentence (this is rarer).

Practical examples

To better understand the use of German prepositions, it is helpful to see them in context with practical examples. Here are some additional examples:

"Die Katze springt auf den Tisch."

(The cat jumps onto the table.) - Movement, accusative

"Die Katze schläft auf dem Tisch."

(The cat is sleeping on the table.) - State, dative

"Das Auto fährt durch den Tunnel."

(The car drives through the tunnel.)

"Sie geht ohne ihren Hund spazieren."

(She goes for a walk without her dog.)

"Der Lehrer steht vor der Klasse."

(The teacher is standing in front of the class.)

Prepositions in idioms and common expressions

Some prepositions are part of fixed expressions and idioms that do not always translate literally. For example:

"auf jeden Fall"

(in any case)

"bei Gelegenheit"

(at the next opportunity)

"in der Nähe"

(nearby)

"unter Umständen"

(under certain circumstances)