Prepositions in German Grammar

Introduction

Prepositions specify the relationship of other words regarding place, time, manner and reason/goal. They usually go in front of a noun. They may be challenging to learn because they usually cannot be translated directly. Some German prepositions also indicate which case should follow them.

Learn about different types of prepositions and which case to use after certain prepositions. At the end of each page are exercises to practise what you have learned.

Types of Prepositions

Prepositions can be grouped into different types depending on how they relate to another word in the sentence, e.g. prepositions of place (local) or prepositions of time (temporal).

Example:

unter dem Tisch (local)

am Samstag (temporal)

mit dem Fahrrad (manner)

zum Geburtstag (reason/goal)

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Prepositions and Cases

Prepositions often give a specific case for the noun, pronoun or article we might use. Sometimes the preposition and the article are combined in one word. 

Example:

wegen des schlechten Wetters (genitive)

am Samstag (dative)

an den Weihnachtsmann schreiben (accusative)

von der Schule nach Hause (dative)