Accusative, dative, and genitive prepositions in German are words that always require the noun or pronoun that follows them to be in a specific grammatical case—either accusative, dative, or genitive. They signal the relationship between different parts of a sentence, such as direction, location, or possession.
- Accusative prepositions typically indicate direction or movement toward something.
- Dative prepositions typically indicate location at rest, means, or the recipient of something.
- Genitive prepositions express possession, cause, or relationships between nouns.
Role of Prepositions
Prepositions show how nouns relate to other words, like “to,” “with,” or “because of” in English. In German, each preposition always requires a specific case (accusative, dative, or genitive), which changes the form of the article and sometimes the noun.
- Accusative: movement toward a goal
- Dative: location, means, or recipient
- Genitive: possession, cause, or formal relationships
List of German Prepositions by Case
Accusative Prepositions
Used when indicating movement toward something or a change in location.
| German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| durch | through | Er geht durch den Park. (He walks through the park.) |
| für | for | Das Geschenk ist für dich. (The gift is for you.) |
| gegen | against | Sie spielt gegen den Gegner. (She plays against the opponent.) |
| ohne | without | Ich trinke Kaffee ohne Zucker. (I drink coffee without sugar.) |
| um | around / at (time) | Wir sitzen um den Tisch. (We sit around the table.) |
Dative Prepositions
Used when indicating location (where something is), the means by which something is done, or the indirect object (recipient).
| German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aus | out of / from | Er kommt aus der Stadt. (He comes from the city.) |
| außer | except | Außer mir war niemand da. (Except me, no one was there.) |
| bei | at / near / with | Ich arbeite bei der Firma. (I work at the company.) |
| mit | with | Sie fährt mit dem Fahrrad. (She rides with the bike.) |
| nach | after / to | Wir fahren nach Berlin. (We’re going to Berlin.) |
| seit | since | Ich wohne hier seit einem Jahr. (I’ve lived here for a year.) |
| von | from / of | Das Geschenk ist von meiner Mutter. (The gift is from my mother.) |
| zu | to | Ich gehe zu dem Arzt. (I’m going to the doctor.) |
Genitive Prepositions
Used in more formal or written German to show possession, cause, or relationships.
| German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| während | during | Während des Winters ist es kalt. (During the winter it is cold.) |
| wegen | because of | Wegen des Staus bin ich spät. (Because of the traffic jam I’m late.) |
| trotz | despite | Trotz des Regens gehen wir spazieren. (Despite the rain we’re going for a walk.) |
| statt | instead of | Statt des Kuchens gibt es Obst. (Instead of cake, there is fruit.) |
| außerhalb | outside of | Außerhalb der Stadt ist es ruhig. (Outside the city it is quiet.) |
| innerhalb | inside of | Innerhalb einer Stunde kommt er. (He’ll arrive within an hour.) |
How to Use Them
The article (der, die, das, ein, eine, etc.) changes depending on the required case:
- Accusative: den (m), die (f), das (n), die (pl)
- Dative: dem (m/n), der (f), den (pl)
- Genitive: des (m/n), der (f/pl)
Replace the article according to the case demanded by the preposition, even if the noun itself doesn’t change.
- Accusative: Movement → use accusative articles after preposition
- Dative: Location or recipient → use dative articles after preposition
- Genitive: Possession or cause → use genitive articles after preposition
Which masculine article is used after genitive prepositions in German?
des
Genitive prepositions require the genitive case, which uses 'des' for masculine nouns.
Examples
- Ich gehe durch den Park. (I go through the park.) → durch + accusative
- Sie wohnt bei der Tante. (She lives with the aunt.) → bei + dative
- Trotz des schlechten Wetters gehen wir raus. (Despite the bad weather, we go out.) → trotz + genitive
Note on Two-Way Prepositions
Prepositions like in, auf, über, unter, vor, hinter, and zwischen can take either accusative or dative:
- Accusative = movement/direction
- Dative = location/rest
Example:
- Ich gehe in den Garten. (accusative, movement)
- Ich bin in dem Garten. (dative, location)
Translate and complete: 'I go into the garden.' → Ich gehe ____ Garten. (ich gehen).
in den
'in' + accusative (den Garten) indicates movement into the garden.
Which case do you use with two-way prepositions in German when indicating movement into a place?
accusative
Movement or direction calls for the accusative case with two-way prepositions.
Summary
- Accusative prepositions = movement toward something
- Dative prepositions = location, means, or recipient
- Genitive prepositions = possession, cause, or formal relationships
- Article (der, die, das, ein, eine) changes to match the case required by the preposition
- Two-way prepositions can be accusative or dative based on meaning
Flashcards (1 of 19)
- Example: Er geht durch den Park. (He walks through the park.)
- English: through
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
