Prepositions in German – A2 Grammar Made Simple
What are prepositions?
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Prepositions (in German: "Präpositionen") are small words that show how one part of a sentence relates to another. They show relationships between things – for example, time, place, direction, cause, and manner.
In English, prepositions include words like "at", "in", "on", "before", "after", or "with".
In German, prepositions are very important because they almost always control a case - either the accusative, the dative, or sometimes both. That means the noun or pronoun that follows the preposition must change its form depending on the case.
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This is one of the most important grammar points at A2 level, and understanding how prepositions work will help you build correct and natural German sentences.
Temporal Prepositions (time)
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These prepositions answer the question "Wann?" (When?) or "Seit wann?" (Since when?). They help us talk about days, times, months, and how long something has been happening.
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am - used with days and parts of the day:
am Montag, am Abend
Ich habe am Montag keine Zeit.
→ I have no time on Monday.
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im - used with months and seasons:
im Juli, im Winter
Wir fahren im August nach Berlin.
→ We’re going to Berlin in August.
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um - used for exact times:
um 8 Uhr, um Mitternacht
Der Unterricht beginnt um neun Uhr.
→ Class begins at 9 o’clock.
seit - used for actions that started in the past and are still happening:
seit zwei Wochen, seit Januar
Ich lerne seit einem Jahr Deutsch.
→ I have been learning German for a year.
vor - used to say how long ago something happened:
vor zwei Tagen, vor einer Woche
Wir haben uns vor einem Monat getroffen.
→ We met a month ago.
nach - used to say "after" a specific event:
nach dem Essen, nach der Schule
Nach dem Kurs gehe ich einkaufen.
→ After the course, I go shopping.
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Tip: Always learn the preposition with a full phrase and remember which case it takes. Most of these temporal prepositions use the dative case.
Local Prepositions (place and direction)
These prepositions help you describe where something is or where someone is going. They answer the questions "Wo?" (Where?), "Wohin?" (Where to?), and "Woher?" (Where from?).
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in - in, into
Ich bin in der Stadt. (Dative – Wo?)
Ich gehe in die Stadt. (Accusative – Wohin?)
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auf - on, onto
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (Dative – Wo?)
Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (Accusative – Wohin?)
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bei - at, near, with (always Dative)
Ich wohne bei meinen Eltern. Er arbeitet bei der Bank.
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an - at, to (used for vertical surfaces or water)
Ich sitze an dem Fenster. (Dative – Wo?)
Ich setze mich an den Tisch. (Accusative – Wohin?)
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über - above, over, about
Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch. (Dative)
Ich hänge das Bild über das Sofa. (Accusative)
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unter - under
Der Hund liegt unter dem Bett. (Dative)
Der Junge kriecht unter das Bett. (Accusative)
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neben - next to
Sie steht neben dem Auto. (Dative)
Er stellt sich neben das Auto. (Accusative)
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vor / hinter / zwischen - in front of, behind, between
Ich warte vor dem Haus. (Dative – Wo?)
Ich gehe vor das Haus. (Accusative – Wohin?)
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These are Wechselpräpositionen (two-way prepositions), which means they can be followed by either the dative or the accusative case depending on the meaning of the sentence.
They are called "Wechselpräpositionen" because they can 'switch' between the two cases. That switch depends on the verb and context in your sentence.
If the sentence shows a location or position, use the dative. If the sentence shows movement or change of position, use the accusative.
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This rule is tricky at first because in English, we don’t change the structure of the sentence for movement vs. no movement - but in German, this distinction is essential.
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Here are some common Wechselpräpositionen with example pairs:
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in
Wir gehen in das Kino. → We are going into the cinema. (movement → accusative) Wir sind in dem Kino. → We are inside the cinema. (position → dative)
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auf
Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. → I put the book onto the table. (movement → accusative)
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. → The book is lying on the table. (position → dative)
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bei – is not a Wechselpräposition. (This clarification helps avoid confusion.)
an
Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. → I hang the picture on the wall. (movement → accusative)
Das Bild hängt an der Wand. → The picture is hanging on the wall. (position → dative)
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über
Ich ziehe das Poster über das Sofa. → I pull the poster over the sofa. (movement → accusative)
Das Poster hängt über dem Sofa. → The poster is hanging above the sofa. (position → dative)
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unter
Die Katze läuft unter das Bett. → The cat runs under the bed. (movement → accusative) Die Katze schläft unter dem Bett. → The cat is sleeping under the bed. (position → dative)
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neben
Er stellt sich neben das Auto. → He places himself next to the car. (movement → accusative) Er steht neben dem Auto. → He is standing next to the car. (position → dative)
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vor
Ich gehe vor das Haus. → I go in front of the house. (movement → accusative)
Ich warte vor dem Haus. → I wait in front of the house. (position → dative)
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hinter
Er stellt den Stuhl hinter die Tür. → He places the chair behind the door. (movement → accusative)
Der Stuhl steht hinter der Tür. → The chair is behind the door. (position → dative)
zwischen
Ich setze mich zwischen die Kinder. → I sit down between the children. (movement → accusative)
Ich sitze zwischen den Kindern. → I’m sitting between the children. (position → dative)
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You can ask two helpful questions:
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Wo? (Where?) → Use dative → There is no change in position.
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Wohin? (Where to?) → Use accusative → There is movement or change.
Tip: Wohin? → Bewegung → Akkusativ; Wo? → Position → Dativ
Common Dative Prepositions (always Dative)
​These prepositions are always followed by the dative case, no matter what comes next. The noun or pronoun after them must take the dative form, so make sure you know your dative articles!
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aus - from, out of
Wir kommen aus der Schule. → We are coming out of the school.
außer - except (for)
Alle gehen ins Kino außer meinem Bruder. → Everyone is going to the cinema except my brother.
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bei - at, near, with
Ich arbeite bei einer Firma in Berlin. → I work at a company in Berlin.
Wir sind bei meinen Eltern. → We are at my parents’ house.
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mit - with Ich fahre mit dem Fahrrad. → I go by bike.
Wir sprechen mit dem Lehrer. → We speak with the teacher.
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nach - after, to (cities, countries, directions)
Wir fahren nach Deutschland. → We are going to Germany.
Nach dem Essen gehen wir spazieren. → After the meal we go for a walk.
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seit - since, for (a time period)
Ich wohne seit einem Jahr in Wien. → I’ve been living in Vienna for a year.
von - from, of
Das Geschenk ist von meinem Bruder. → The present is from my brother.
Er kommt von der Arbeit. → He is coming from work.
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zu – to, at
Ich gehe zu meiner Freundin. → I’m going to my (female) friend’s place.
Wir fahren zum Supermarkt. → We’re driving to the supermarket.
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Tip: Use these prepositions in your daily German - they come up all the time and mastering them will help you form correct sentences naturally. Use these prepositions every day in your conversations - they are very common and help build fluent German.
Common Accusative Prepositions (always Accusative)
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These prepositions are always followed by the accusative case. The noun or pronoun that follows will be in the accusative form. This affects especially masculine articles (der → den, ein → einen).
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durch - through
Wir gehen durch den Park. → We are walking through the park.
Das Auto fährt durch den Tunnel. → The car drives through the tunnel.
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für - for Das ist ein Geschenk für dich. → This is a present for you.
Ich arbeite für eine deutsche Firma. → I work for a German company.
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gegen - against
Bayern spielt gegen Dortmund. → Bayern is playing against Dortmund.
Das ist gegen die Regeln. → That is against the rules.
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ohne - without
Ich kann nicht ohne mein Handy leben. → I can't live without my phone.
Sie geht nie ohne ihren Hund spazieren. → She never goes for a walk without her dog.
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um - around, at (with time)
Wir sitzen um den Tisch. → We’re sitting around the table.
Der Film beginnt um acht Uhr. → The movie starts at eight o’clock.
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Tip: Memorise this rhyme: Durch, für, gegen, ohne, um – gehen alle mit Akkusativ herum! It’s a fun and easy way to remember these accusative prepositions - and it works! It helps you remember these five accusative prepositions quickly.
Summary – what you should remember
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prepositions describe time, place, and relationships
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they always control a case (accusative or dative)
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some are fixed with dative (mit, bei, zu), some with accusative (für, ohne, um)
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Wechselpräpositionen use dative (Wo?) or accusative (Wohin?) depending on the verb
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always learn prepositions in full example phrases with article and noun
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ask yourself: is it about position or movement?
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prepositions are often part of fixed expressions – learn them as chunks