Prepositions with Dative or Accusative
Knowing when a preposition is followed by the dative or the accusative is one of the difficulties a German student faces. Some prepositions can go with both cases.
Main prepositions that always go with the accusative: bis, durch, entlang, für, gegen, ohne, um, wieder.
Main prepositions that always go with the dative: ab, aus, außer, bei, dank, gegenüber, mit, nach, seit, von zu.
Prepositions that can go with the dative or accusative
In the majority of cases, the accusative indicates direction (question: wohin?; where?) and the dative for the question wo?; where?
All of the prepositions mentioned in this chapter introduce circumstantial objects of place.
1.- An
With the accusative
a) Location
Köln liegt am Rhein. |
Cologne is next to the Rhine. |
b) Direction (to where)
Morgen fahre ich an den Strand. |
Tomorrow I'm going to go to the beach |
With the dative
a) Dates, days, precious moments
Am Abend gehe ich gern aus. |
At night I like to go out |
- |
An dem Abend, als wir im Kino waren, habe ich meine Tasche verloren. |
The night I went to the cinema I lost my bag |
- |
Am Anfang des Jahres bin ich nach Paris gereist. |
At the beginning of the year I travelled to Paris. |
b) With set expressions
An Deiner Stelle würde ich diese Arbeit annehmen. |
If I were you, I would take this job. |
2.- Auf
With the accusative: it indicates direction
Ich gehe auf den Markt. |
I'm going to the market |
With the dative: location
Das Haus steht auf dem Berg. |
The house is on top of the mountain. |
3.- Hinter
With the accusative
a) It indicates direction
Ich gehe hinter das Gebäude. |
I go behind the building |
b) It indicates distance / delay
Wir gingen weit hinter den anderen. |
We walk far behind the others |
With the dative: location
Der Parkplatz ist hinter der Schule. |
The car park is behind the school. |
4.- Vor
With the accusative: direction
Ich gehe vor das Haus. |
I go in front of the house |
With the dative: Location
Ich stehe vor dem Theater. |
I'm in front of the theatre |
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Complete the following sentences.
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