Prepositions by Case
Spoken Description
Lerne deutsche Präpositionen nach Fall mit klaren Beispielen und Übungen. Verstehen, wann und wie man Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv und Akkusativ-Dativ-Präpositionen richtig verwendet. Perfekt für Deutschlernende auf Anfänger- und Mittelstufenniveau.
Learn German prepositions by case with clear examples and exercises. Understand when and how to use accusative, dative, genitive, and two-way prepositions correctly. Perfect for beginner and intermediate learners.
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Prepositions in German govern cases and often set the scene for how to interpret relationships between things. This guide groups prepositions by the case they require and highlights useful examples for each.
Overview
Prepositions always trigger a specific case—accusative, dative, genitive, or sometimes two cases depending on movement versus position. Learn them in small groups so you instinctively supply the right article and ending.
Accusative Prepositions
Accusative prepositions signal direction, target, or a defined span of time. They prompt use of the accusative case for the noun that follows.
Examples
| German Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Ich gehe durch den Park. | I walk through the park. | |
| Wir warten auf den Bus. | We are waiting for the bus. |
Dative Prepositions
Dative prepositions indicate location, resting position, or beneficiary status. They require the dative case for the associated noun.
Examples
| German Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. | The book lies on the table. | |
| Ich gebe dem Mann das Geld. | I give the man the money. |
Two-Way Prepositions
Two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen) take either accusative or dative depending on whether there is movement toward a place (accusative) or location at a place (dative).
Examples
| German Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Ich stelle den Stuhl an die Wand. | I place the chair against the wall. (accusative) | |
| Der Stuhl steht an der Wand. | The chair stands by the wall. (dative) |
Genitive Prepositions
Genitive prepositions show possession, source, or more formal relationships and require the genitive case. They are less common in speech but frequent in writing.
Examples
| German Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Trotz des Regens gingen wir raus. | Despite the rain, we went outside. | |
| Während der Pause esse ich. | During the break, I eat. |
Summary
Each preposition belongs to a category that dictates the case of its noun. Accusative prepositions often show direction, dative prepositions show location or benefit, two-way prepositions depend on movement versus position, and genitive prepositions express possession or source. Practice with typical examples to internalize their patterns.
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