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Preposition in German

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Preposition in German
Preposition in German

Prepositions are small words or groups of words that connect a noun phrase to the rest of a sentence. They typically indicate movement, direction, location, or relationships between objects. While there are many prepositions in English, some common ones include "at," "on," and "in". Learning these basic prepositions is essential for improving your language skills and grasping sentence structure. Let's delve into the world of prepositions!

preposition in german with pronunciation

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Preposition in German

  • in in
  • auf on
  • unter under
  • hinter behind
  • neben next to
  • zwischen between
  • gegenüber opposite
  • unterhalb below
  • hoch up
  • runter down
  • um around
  • durch through

German Prepositions and Their English Translations

Below is a table listing common German prepositions along with their English translations:

  • ab from
  • aus out of, from
  • bei at, by, with
  • bis until, by
  • durch through
  • für for
  • gegen against
  • ohne without
  • um around, at, about
  • von from, of
  • zu to
  • über over, above
  • unter under, among
  • seit since
  • nach after, to
  • vor before, in front of
  • mit with
  • an on, at
  • in in, into
  • vorbei past
  • entlang along
  • gegenüber across from, opposite to
  • anstelle von instead of
  • außerhalb von outside of
  • innerhalb von inside of
  • angesichts in view of
  • dank thanks to

Understanding Prepositions in German

Prepositions play a vital role in indicating the relationship between words in a sentence, providing clarity on position, direction, or time. In the German language, there are over 80 prepositions, but about half of them are commonly used. Let's explore these essential elements of German grammar.

Importance of Prepositions in German

Prepositions are crucial in German grammar as they help convey precise meanings and relationships between words within a sentence. They provide essential context for understanding the message being communicated.

Commonly Used German Prepositions

Here's a list of commonly used German prepositions along with their functions:

Preposition Function
in Accusative, Dative
auf Accusative, Dative
über Accusative, Dative
unter Accusative, Dative
neben Accusative, Dative
hinter Accusative, Dative
vor Accusative, Dative
zwischen Accusative, Dative
an Accusative, Dative, Genitive
über Accusative, Dative, Genitive
auf Accusative, Dative, Genitive
hinter Accusative, Dative, Genitive
neben Accusative, Dative, Genitive
in Accusative, Dative, Genitive
vor Accusative, Dative, Genitive
unter Accusative, Dative, Genitive
zwischen Accusative, Dative, Genitive

Understanding Different Functions of Prepositions

Prepositions in German can be classified into four groups based on their functions:

  1. Prepositions initiating the accusative case.
  2. Prepositions initiating the dative case.
  3. Two-way prepositions that can initiate either the accusative or dative case.
  4. Prepositions initiating the genitive case.

German Dative Prepositions

German dative prepositions are paired with nouns or pronouns in the dative case, indicating various relationships within a sentence, such as location and direction. Let's explore some common German dative prepositions and their meanings.

Preposition English Meaning Example Sentence Translation
Aus From, out, outside of, of, off Heute gehe ich nicht aus dem Haus. Today I won’t go out of the house.
Außer Except, unless Niemand außer dir versteht mich. Nobody understands me except you.
Bei At, with, by Ich bin bei Anna. I’m with Anna. (locally, next to her)
Mit With Ich bin mit Anna zusammen. I’m with Anna. (We’re dating)
Nahe Near Ich wohne nahe dem Fluss. I live near the river.
Neben Next to, besides Der Stift liegt neben dem Telefon. The pen is next to the telephone.
Gemäß According to Gemäß Paragraph 18 sind Sie jetzt zum Kauf verpflichtet. According to paragraph 18 you are now obliged to purchase.
Entgegen Contrary to Entgegen aller Vernunft kaufte sie den Porsche. Contrary to all reason, she bought the Porsche.
Nach To, towards, past (+time) Ich fliege nach L.A. I’m flying to L.A.
Zu To Ich fahre zu Julian. I’m driving to Julian’s.
Binnen Within Bitte überweisen Sie den Betrag binnen 14 Tagen. Please transfer the amount within 14 days.
Ab From Ich arbeite ab 8 Uhr. I work from 8AM.
Abgesehen von Aside from, apart from Abgesehen von kleinen Schwierigkeiten läuft das Projekt gut. Apart from a few minor difficulties, the project is going well.
Seit Since Seit dem Gespräch hab ich hier das Sagen. Since the conversation, I've been in charge here.
Von Of, from Von hier aus sind es noch 20 km. From here it’s another 20 km.
Einschließlich Including Ich hab alles gefunden, einschließlich Bananen. I found everything, including bananas.
Samt, mitsamt With, along with Ich bin samt Kleidung ins Wasser gesprungen. I jumped into the water with all my clothes.
Laut According to Laut deiner Mama solltest du in der Schule sein. According to your mom, you should be in school.
Dank Thanks to Dank dir bin ich glücklicher als je zuvor. Thanks to you, I am happier than ever before.
Entsprechend Accordingly Dem Vertrag entsprechend geht das leider nicht. Unfortunately, this is not possible according to the contract.
Gegenüber Opposite, compared to Er saß mir direkt gegenüber. He was sitting directly across from me.
Zufolge According to Ihr zufolge gibt es keinen Grund zur Sorge. According to her, there is no need to worry.

German accusative prepositions

German accusative prepositions are linked with a noun or pronoun in the accusative case, indicating various relationships within a sentence, such as manner and time. Let's explore some common German accusative prepositions and their meanings.

Preposition English Meaning Example Sentence Translation
Für For Die Blumen sind für dich. The flowers are for you.
Je Per, as per Wir haben je einen Kaffee bestellt. We ordered one coffee each.
Pro Per Es gab nur einen Keks pro Person. There was only one cookie per person.
Ohne Without Ohne dich ist es langweilig. It's boring without you.
Durch Through Ich weiß durch meine Chefin davon. I know about it through my boss.
Gegen Against, around (+time) Ich bin gegen die Idee. I am against the idea.
Bis Until Wir waren bis zum Morgen wach. We were awake until morning.
Um At (+time), about, around Der Film fängt um 20:15 Uhr an. The movie starts at 8:15 pm.

Two-Way Prepositions

Two-way prepositions in German are a group of prepositions that can be accompanied by either the accusative or the dative case, depending on their usage in a sentence. Let's explore some common two-way prepositions and how they function:

Preposition English Meaning Example Sentence (Dative) Translation (Dative) Example Sentence (Accusative) Translation (Accusative)
an at, to, on Das Buch liegt an dem Tisch. The book is on the table. Ich lege das Buch an den Tisch. I place the book on the table.
auf at, to, on, upon Die Tasse steht auf dem Tisch. The cup is on the table. Ich stelle die Tasse auf den Tisch. I place the cup on the table.
hinter behind Der Stuhl steht hinter dem Tisch. The chair is behind the table. Ich stelle den Stuhl hinter den Tisch. I place the chair behind the table.
in to, into Die Schlüssel sind in der Tasche. The keys are in the bag. Ich lege die Schlüssel in die Tasche. I put the keys into the bag.
neben next to, beside Der Stift liegt neben dem Buch. The pen is next to the book. Ich lege den Stift neben das Buch. I place the pen next to the book.
über over, above Das Bild hängt über dem Sofa. The picture is over the sofa. Ich hänge das Bild über das Sofa. I hang the picture over the sofa.
unter under, among Der Ball ist unter dem Tisch. The ball is under the table. Ich lege den Ball unter den Tisch. I place the ball under the table.
vor before, in front of Die Lampe steht vor dem Bett. The lamp is in front of the bed. Ich stelle die Lampe vor das Bett. I place the lamp in front of the bed.
zwischen between Das Buch liegt zwischen den Stühlen. The book is between the chairs. Ich lege das Buch zwischen die Stühle. I place the book between the chairs.

When these prepositions indicate a static position, they are used with the dative case. For example, "Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch" (The book is on the table).

German genitive prepositions

German genitive prepositions are a group of prepositions that are accompanied by a noun or pronoun in the genitive case, indicating possession or referencing time. Let's explore some common German genitive prepositions and their meanings:

Preposition English Meaning Example Sentence Translation
Anstatt Instead of Sie ging mit ihrer Schwester zum Ball anstatt mit ihrem Freund. She went to the prom with her sister instead of her boyfriend.
Außerhalb Outside of Wir sind außerhalb der Geschäftszeiten nicht zu erreichen. We can’t be reached outside of office hours.
Innerhalb Inside of, within Das muss innerhalb einer Stunde fertig sein. This must be completed within an hour.
Trotz In spite of Trotz des Regens ging ich spazieren. In spite of the rain, I went for a walk.
Wegen Because of, due to Der Unterricht fällt heute wegen des Schnees aus. Classes are canceled because of the snow.
Während During Während meines Urlaubs habe ich viel gelesen. During my vacation, I read a lot.

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