TOPIC · Prepositions (Präpositionen)

Preposition guide 1 — Basics: What is a preposition?

A1

What is a preposition, where does it stand in a sentence, what relationships does it express, and why must it always be learned with Kasus.

Präpositionen = Prepositions

Prepositions are connecting words that stand before nouns or pronouns to indicate the relationship between words in a sentence: where, when, why, with whom, how.

1What is a preposition (Präposition)?

Prepositions stand before nouns or pronouns and create a complete meaningful phrase. Prepositions themselves do not change form — but they force the following word to change.

  • Ich fahre mit dem Bus. (I go by bus.)
  • Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book is on the table.)
  • Ich warte auf den Bus. (I wait for the bus.)

Remember from the start

German prepositions always stand before nouns/pronouns, not after. Exceptions are very few and will be learned separately in Part 8 (e.g., den Fluss entlang — along the river).

2What relationships do prepositions express?

RelationshipQuestionCommon prepositionsExample
LocationWo?in, auf, an, neben, unterin der Schule (at school)
TimeWann?seit, ab, vor, nach, umum 7 Uhr (at 7 o'clock)
DirectionWohin?nach, zu, in, aufnach Berlin (to Berlin)
CauseWarum?wegen, aus, vor, dankwegen des Wetters (because of the weather)
Together with someoneMit wem?mit, ohne, beimit meiner Freundin (with my friend)
PurposeWofür?für, zu, umfür die Schule (for school)
Means of transportWomit?mit, durch, permit dem Auto (by car)

Why learn by questions

Each group of meanings has its own question. When you can ask the correct question (Wo? or Wohin?, Mit wem? or Für wen?), you can choose the preposition and the accompanying case (Kasus). This is the key to Part 6.

3Basic structure

Preposition + (Article) + Noun/Pronoun → Präpositionalphrase (prepositional phrase)

  • in der Schule (in the school)
  • mit meiner Freundin (with my girlfriend)
  • nach Deutschland (to Germany)

The noun following the preposition must carry the correct article and ending according to the case required by the preposition. That’s why mit gives dem, and für gives den:

  • Ich gehe mit dem Freund. (Dativ)
  • Das Geschenk ist für den Freund. (Akkusativ)

Common mistakes by Vietnamese learners

Vietnamese does not change word forms, so it’s easy to translate directly: "go with friend" → ✗ mit der Freund. The correct form is ✓ mit dem Freund. Learning prepositions without learning the accompanying case will still result in errors.

4Quick summary

  1. Prepositions come before nouns/pronouns
  2. Each preposition has its own meaning and usage — not a 1:1 translation from Vietnamese
  3. When learning prepositions, always learn the Kasus (Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv) along with an example phrase.

General examples:

  • Ich komme aus Vietnam. (I come from Vietnam)
  • Wir warten auf den Bus. (We are waiting for the bus.)
  • Sie lebt in Berlin. (She lives in Berlin.)

Solid foundation

Learn prepositions in phrases, not as single words — remembering one phrase lasts a lifetime