Table of Contents
Understanding Prepositions with Dative and Accusative
In this chapter you learn German prepositions that can be followed only by dative or only by accusative, and you get a first look at the important group that can take both. You already know what the cases are from the parent chapter, so here we focus on which preposition needs which case and how this changes the form of the article.
Prepositions with the Dative Case Only
Some very common prepositions are always followed by the dative case. They never use accusative.
These are essential at A1:
| Preposition | Basic meaning in English |
|---|---|
| aus | from, out of |
| bei | at, near, with (a person) |
| mit | with, by (means of transport) |
| nach | after, to (cities, countries) |
| seit | since, for (time) |
| von | from, of |
| zu | to, at |
The noun or pronoun after these prepositions must be in the dative. This affects the article.
After aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu you always use the dative case.
Article forms after dative-only prepositions
You need the dative forms of the definite and indefinite articles.
Definite articles in dative:
| Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dative | dem | der | dem | den (+n) |
Indefinite articles in dative:
| Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dative | einem | einer | einem |
For plural indefinite you normally use no article, or words like keine, meine etc., which also take dative endings and usually add -n to the noun.
Example patterns:
aus + dem Haus
bei + der Freundin
mit + einem Freund
zu + den Eltern
With plural nouns in dative you usually add -n to the noun if possible:
den Eltern, mit den Freunden, bei den Kollegen.
Typical meanings and examples
Only the case choice is new here. Other details about time and place prepositions are covered in their own chapters.
aus + dative
Used for origin or movement out of something.
Ich komme aus der Schweiz.
Wir gehen aus dem Büro.
bei + dative
Used for location at a person or company, or near something.
Ich bin bei meiner Freundin.
Er arbeitet bei der Firma BMW.
mit + dative
Used for “with someone” or “by” transport.
Ich gehe mit dem Lehrer.
Wir fahren mit dem Bus.
nach + dative
Used mainly for “to” with cities and countries, and “after” in time expressions.
Wir fahren nach Berlin.
Nach der Arbeit bin ich müde.
seit + dative
Used for an action that started in the past and continues.
Ich lerne seit einem Jahr Deutsch.
Sie wohnt seit 2010 in Hamburg.
von + dative
Often means “from” or “of”.
Ich komme gerade von der Arbeit.
Das ist ein Geschenk von meinem Bruder.
zu + dative
Used for movement “to” people, events, buildings.
Ich gehe zu meiner Schwester.
Wir fahren zum (= zu dem) Bahnhof.
Prepositions with the Accusative Case Only
Some very frequent prepositions are always followed by the accusative case.
Important ones at A1:
| Preposition | Basic meaning in English |
|---|---|
| durch | through |
| für | for |
| gegen | against, around (time) |
| ohne | without |
| um | around, at (time) |
The noun or pronoun after these prepositions must be in the accusative.
After durch, für, gegen, ohne, um you always use the accusative case.
Article forms after accusative-only prepositions
You already know the accusative forms from the cases chapter. Here is a quick overview for reference.
Definite articles in accusative:
| Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accusative | den | die | das | die |
Indefinite articles in accusative:
| Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accusative | einen | eine | ein |
Example patterns:
durch + den Park
für + eine Freundin
gegen + das Auto
ohne + einen Regenschirm
um + die Ecke
Typical meanings and examples
durch + accusative
Ich gehe durch den Park.
Wir fahren durch die Stadt.
für + accusative
Das ist für meinen Bruder.
Ich kaufe ein Geschenk für meine Mutter.
gegen + accusative
Die Tabletten sind gegen Kopfschmerzen.
Er spielt gegen die Mannschaft aus Berlin.
ohne + accusative
Ich trinke Kaffee ohne Zucker.
Sie geht ohne ihren Hund spazieren.
um + accusative
For “around” places or times, and “at” for clock times.
Wir stehen um den Tisch.
Der Film beginnt um 20 Uhr.
Two-way Prepositions: Dative or Accusative
Some very common prepositions can use either dative or accusative. The form you choose depends on the meaning: are you talking about location (where something is) or movement (where something goes)?
The most important two-way prepositions are:
| Preposition | Basic meaning in English |
|---|---|
| an | at, on (vertical edge) |
| auf | on, onto |
| hinter | behind |
| in | in, into |
| neben | next to, beside |
| über | over, above, about |
| unter | under, among |
| vor | in front of, before |
| zwischen | between |
These can be followed by dative or accusative.
Two-way prepositions:
Use dative for location (where?).
Use accusative for movement (where to?).
The detailed use of these prepositions with specific time and place meanings is covered in the chapters about place prepositions and time prepositions. In this chapter your focus is only the link between “where vs where to” and the choice of case.
Dative with two-way prepositions: location
You use the dative case when you answer a “where?” question, with no movement to a new place.
Examples:
Die Lampe steht auf dem Tisch.
“Where is the lamp?” On the table, no movement.
Ich bin in der Küche.
“Where are you?” In the kitchen.
Das Bild hängt an der Wand.
“Where is the picture?” On the wall.
Wir sitzen zwischen den Kindern.
“Where do we sit?” Between the children.
Accusative with two-way prepositions: movement
You use the accusative case when you answer a “where to?” question and there is movement to a new place.
Examples:
Ich stelle die Lampe auf den Tisch.
“Where do I put the lamp?” Onto the table.
Ich gehe in die Küche.
“Where do I go?” Into the kitchen.
Er hängt das Bild an die Wand.
“Where does he hang the picture?” Onto the wall.
Wir setzen uns zwischen die Kinder.
“Where do we sit down?” Between the children.
Comparing pairs: same preposition, different case
Look at how the article changes when the meaning changes.
in + dative vs in + accusative
Ich bin in dem Zimmer.
Location, dative: dem.
Ich gehe in das Zimmer.
Movement, accusative: das.
auf + dative vs auf + accusative
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
Location, dative: dem.
Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch.
Movement, accusative: den.
an + dative vs an + accusative
Die Uhr hängt an der Wand.
Location, dative: der.
Ich hänge die Uhr an die Wand.
Movement, accusative: die.
vor + dative vs vor + accusative
Das Auto steht vor dem Haus.
Location, dative: dem.
Ich fahre das Auto vor das Haus.
Movement, accusative: das.
Common Contracted Forms
In everyday German, some combinations of two-way or dative prepositions with definite articles have short forms.
Important contractions:
| Full form | Contracted form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| in dem | im | in the (dative, masc./neuter) |
| in das | ins | into the (accusative, neuter) |
| an dem | am | at the, on the (dative) |
| bei dem | beim | at the (dative) |
| zu dem | zum | to the (dative, masc./neuter) |
| zu der | zur | to the (dative, feminine) |
| von dem | vom | from the (dative, masc./neuter) |
Examples:
Ich bin im Zimmer.
= Ich bin in dem Zimmer. (dative, location)
Ich gehe ins Zimmer.
= Ich gehe in das Zimmer. (accusative, movement)
Wir treffen uns am Bahnhof.
= an dem Bahnhof.
Ich fahre zum Supermarkt.
= zu dem Supermarkt.
Ich komme vom Arzt.
= von dem Arzt.
These contractions are very common in spoken and written German, and you should get used to them early.
First Overview: Which Preposition Uses Which Case?
For quick orientation, here is a compact table with the most useful A1 prepositions grouped by the case they take.
| Group | Prepositions |
|---|---|
| Always dative | aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu |
| Always accusative | durch, für, gegen, ohne, um |
| Dative or accusative | an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen |
You do not need to know all special meanings yet. At A1 it is enough if you know which case to use and can make simple sentences.
- Learn which prepositions are dative only and which are accusative only.
- With two-way prepositions, remember:
“where” = dative, “where to” = accusative.
Vocabulary List
New or important words and forms from this chapter:
| German | Part of speech | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aus | preposition | from, out of |
| bei | preposition | at, near, with (a person) |
| mit | preposition | with, by (transport) |
| nach | preposition | after, to (city, country) |
| seit | preposition | since, for (time) |
| von | preposition | from, of |
| zu | preposition | to, at |
| durch | preposition | through |
| für | preposition | for |
| gegen | preposition | against, around (time) |
| ohne | preposition | without |
| um | preposition | around, at (time) |
| an | preposition | at, on (vertical edge) |
| auf | preposition | on, onto |
| hinter | preposition | behind |
| in | preposition | in, into |
| neben | preposition | next to, beside |
| über | preposition | over, above, about |
| unter | preposition | under, among |
| vor | preposition | in front of, before |
| zwischen | preposition | between |
| im | contraction | in dem (in the, dative) |
| ins | contraction | in das (into the, accusative) |
| am | contraction | an dem (at the, on the) |
| beim | contraction | bei dem (at the) |
| zum | contraction | zu dem (to the, masc./neuter) |
| zur | contraction | zu der (to the, feminine) |
| vom | contraction | von dem (from the) |
| der (dative) | article | dative feminine “the” |
| dem | article | dative masculine/neuter “the” |
| den (dative pl) | article | dative plural “the” |
| einem | article | dative masculine/neuter “a” |
| einer | article | dative feminine “a” |
| den (accus.) | article | accusative masculine “the” |
| die (accus.) | article | accusative feminine/plural “the” |
| das (accus.) | article | accusative neuter “the” |
| einen | article | accusative masculine “a” |
| eine | article | accusative feminine “a” |
| ein (accus.) | article | accusative neuter “a” |
| der Bahnhof | noun (m.) | train station |
| der Arzt | noun (m.) | doctor |
| das Zimmer | noun (n.) | room |
| der Tisch | noun (m.) | table |
| die Wand | noun (f.) | wall |
| das Haus | noun (n.) | house |
| der Bus | noun (m.) | bus |
| der Park | noun (m.) | park |
| der Supermarkt | noun (m.) | supermarket |
| das Bild | noun (n.) | picture |
| die Küche | noun (f.) | kitchen |
| die Stadt | noun (f.) | city |
| die Eltern | noun (pl.) | parents |