German prepositions fall into two broad categories. Two-way prepositions — an, auf, in, über, unter, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen — take accusative or dative depending on context. Everything else belongs to a fixed group: each preposition permanently demands one specific case, in every sentence, without exception.
The fixed prepositions are easier in one sense — there's no motion-vs-location decision to make. You just need to know which case each one requires. The list is finite and the patterns are learnable.
Three Groups, Fixed Rules
Fixed prepositions divide into three groups by case: those that always take accusative, those that always take dative, and those that always take genitive. Each group has a core set of high-frequency prepositions worth memorising first, plus a longer tail of formal or less common ones.
Accusative Prepositions
These prepositions always take accusative. No exceptions.
| Preposition | Core meaning |
|---|---|
| durch | through, by means of |
| für | for |
| gegen | against, around (time) |
| ohne | without |
| um | around, at (time), for (requesting) |
| bis | until, up to, by |
| entlang* | along |
| wider | against, contrary to (formal) |
* Entlang takes accusative when it follows the noun (den Fluss entlang) and dative when it precedes the noun (entlang dem Fluss). Post-nominal accusative is the standard modern usage.
A common mnemonic for the core five: durch — für — gegen — ohne — um. These are the five accusative prepositions learners encounter most at A1–B1 level.
Er läuft durch den Park.
He runs through the park. (den — masculine accusative)
Das ist ein Geschenk für meinen Bruder.
That's a gift for my brother.
Ich bin gegen diesen Plan.
I'm against this plan.
Sie geht ohne ihren Regenschirm.
She's going without her umbrella.
Wir treffen uns um acht Uhr.
We're meeting at eight o'clock.
Bis nächsten Montag.
Until next Monday. / By next Monday.
Gegen for approximate time
Gegen is often used with accusative time expressions to mean "around" or "approximately." Gegen acht Uhr = around eight o'clock. Gegen Ende des Jahres = towards the end of the year. This is a very common usage in both speech and writing.
Dative Prepositions
These prepositions always take dative. No exceptions.
| Preposition | Core meaning |
|---|---|
| aus | from, out of, made of |
| außer | except for, apart from |
| bei | at, near, with, at someone's place |
| gegenüber | opposite, towards (attitude) |
| mit | with, by (means of transport) |
| nach | after, to (cities/countries), according to |
| seit | since, for (ongoing duration) |
| von | from, of, by |
| zu | to, at, for (purpose) |
| ab | from (a point onward) |
| entgegen | contrary to, against (formal) |
| gemäß | in accordance with (formal) |
| zufolge | according to (formal) |
| gegenüber | opposite, towards |
The core eight to learn first: aus — außer — bei — mit — nach — seit — von — zu. These cover the vast majority of dative preposition use at B1 level.
Sie kommt aus der Schweiz.
She comes from Switzerland.
Alle waren da, außer meinem Bruder.
Everyone was there except my brother.
Er wohnt bei seiner Tante.
He lives with his aunt.
Ich fahre mit dem Zug.
I'm going by train.
Nach dem Essen gehen wir spazieren.
After dinner we'll go for a walk.
Ich lerne seit einem Jahr Deutsch.
I've been learning German for a year.
Das ist ein Buch von meiner Mutter.
That's a book from my mother. / a book by my mother.
Ich gehe zu meinem Freund.
I'm going to my friend's place.
Nach vs. zu for destinations
Nach is used for cities, most countries, and nach Hause (home). Zu is used for people, specific places, and institutions. Ich fahre nach Berlin (city). Ich fahre zur Arbeit (to work — zu + der). Ich gehe zu meinem Arzt (to my doctor). Ich fahre nach Hause / Ich gehe zu mir nach Hause (home). These two are often confused — the distinction is worth memorising explicitly.
Gegenüber — position matters
Gegenüber can precede or follow its noun phrase. When it precedes, the noun is dative as normal. When it follows — which is common — the noun is still dative but the word order is reversed: dem Bahnhof gegenüber (opposite the station). Both positions are correct; following the noun is more common in everyday speech.
Genitive Prepositions
Genitive prepositions are primarily a feature of written and formal German. In casual speech, many are replaced by dative constructions. At B1 level, passive recognition matters more than active production — but the most common ones appear frequently enough to deserve active learning.
| Preposition | Meaning | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| wegen | because of, due to | very common |
| trotz | despite, in spite of | very common |
| während | during | very common |
| statt / anstatt | instead of | common |
| aufgrund | on the basis of, due to | common (formal) |
| innerhalb | within, inside | common |
| außerhalb | outside of, beyond | common |
| oberhalb | above | less common |
| unterhalb | below | less common |
| diesseits | on this side of | rare |
| jenseits | on the other side of, beyond | less common |
| infolge | as a result of | formal |
| mithilfe | with the help of | common (formal) |
| zwecks | for the purpose of | formal/bureaucratic |
| mangels | for lack of | formal/legal |
Wegen des schlechten Wetters blieben wir zu Hause.
Because of the bad weather we stayed home. (des — masculine genitive)
Trotz des Regens sind wir spazieren gegangen.
Despite the rain we went for a walk.
Während des Meetings darf man nicht telefonieren.
During the meeting you may not make phone calls.
Statt eines Kuchens gab es Eis.
Instead of a cake there was ice cream.
Aufgrund der neuen Regelungen müssen wir umplanen.
Due to the new regulations we have to replan.
Innerhalb der nächsten zwei Wochen wird eine Entscheidung getroffen.
Within the next two weeks a decision will be made.
Wegen and trotz with dative in speech
In everyday spoken German, wegen and trotz are increasingly used with dative rather than genitive — especially when followed by a pronoun. Wegen dem Wetter (dative) is widely heard and broadly accepted in speech, though formally incorrect in written German. Wegen des Wetters (genitive) remains the standard in writing. At B1, know both; use genitive in formal writing.
Standard Contractions
Several dative and accusative prepositions contract with the definite article in standard usage. These are not casual shortenings — they are the normal written forms.
| Full form | Contraction | Case |
|---|---|---|
| an dem | am | dative |
| an das | ans | accusative |
| auf das | aufs | accusative |
| bei dem | beim | dative |
| durch das | durchs | accusative |
| für das | fürs | accusative |
| in dem | im | dative |
| in das | ins | accusative |
| um das | ums | accusative |
| von dem | vom | dative |
| vor dem | vorm | dative (colloquial) |
| zu dem | zum | dative |
| zu der | zur | dative |
Am, beim, im, vom, zum, zur are standard in all registers including formal writing. The others (durchs, fürs, ums, vorm) are colloquial and avoided in formal written German.
Ich gehe zum Arzt. (zu + dem → zum)
Sie fährt zur Arbeit. (zu + der → zur)
Er ist beim Friseur. (bei + dem → beim)
Verbs With Fixed Prepositions
Many German verbs require a specific preposition, and that preposition in turn fixes the case of the following noun phrase. These verb-preposition pairs must be memorised as units — the choice of preposition is not predictable from meaning alone.
| Verb + preposition | Case | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| warten auf | accusative | to wait for |
| sich freuen auf | accusative | to look forward to |
| sich freuen über | accusative | to be pleased about |
| denken an | accusative | to think of/about |
| sich erinnern an | accusative | to remember |
| glauben an | accusative | to believe in |
| sich gewöhnen an | accusative | to get used to |
| sprechen über | accusative | to talk about |
| nachdenken über | accusative | to think about |
| sich ärgern über | accusative | to be annoyed about |
| abhängen von | dative | to depend on |
| gehören zu | dative | to belong to |
| leiden unter | dative | to suffer from |
| sich beschäftigen mit | dative | to deal with, occupy oneself with |
| anfangen mit | dative | to begin with, start on |
| bestehen aus | dative | to consist of |
| träumen von | dative | to dream of |
| sich interessieren für | accusative | to be interested in |
| sorgen für | accusative | to take care of |
| sich bewerben um | accusative | to apply for |
Da-Compounds
When the object of a preposition is a thing (not a person), German replaces the preposition + pronoun combination with a da- compound. This applies to fixed prepositions and two-way prepositions alike.
Ich warte auf den Bus. → Ich warte darauf.
I'm waiting for the bus. → I'm waiting for it.
Er denkt an die Prüfung. → Er denkt daran.
He's thinking about the exam. → He's thinking about it.
Sie freut sich über das Geschenk. → Sie freut sich darüber.
She's pleased about the gift. → She's pleased about it.
Formation: da- + preposition. If the preposition begins with a vowel, insert an -r-: da + an = daran, da + auf = darauf, da + über = darüber, da + in = darin, da + um = darum.
For people, use a regular preposition + pronoun: auf ihn warten, an sie denken. Da-compounds only replace things, never people.
Common Traps
Trap 1 — Using nominative after a preposition
No German preposition ever takes nominative. Whenever a noun follows a preposition, it must be in accusative, dative, or genitive.
für meinen Bruder ✓ (accusative)
für mein Bruder ✗ (nominative — wrong)
Trap 2 — Nach vs. zu for destinations
Ich fahre nach Wien. ✓ (city — nach)
Ich fahre zu Wien. ✗
Ich gehe zum Arzt. ✓ (person/institution — zu)
Ich gehe nach dem Arzt. ✗
Trap 3 — Von instead of genitive for possession
In spoken German, von + dative frequently replaces the genitive for possession. Both are correct in appropriate registers.
das Auto meines Vaters (genitive — formal/written)
das Auto von meinem Vater (von + dative — spoken/informal)
Trap 4 — Wegen with dative in formal writing
wegen des Regens ✓ (genitive — formal)
wegen dem Regen ✓ (dative — spoken, accepted informally)
wegen dem Regen ✗ (dative — incorrect in formal written German)
Trap 5 — Using a pronoun instead of a da-compound for things
Ich warte darauf. ✓ (da-compound for thing)
Ich warte auf es. ✗ (pronoun for thing — wrong)
Ich warte auf ihn. ✓ (pronoun for person — correct)
Quick Recap
- Fixed prepositions always take the same case — no context-dependent switching like two-way prepositions.
- Always accusative: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, entlang (post-nominal), wider. Core five: durch — für — gegen — ohne — um.
- Always dative: aus, außer, bei, gegenüber, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, ab. Core eight: aus — außer — bei — mit — nach — seit — von — zu.
- Always genitive: wegen, trotz, während, statt/anstatt, aufgrund, innerhalb, außerhalb and others. Wegen and trotz take dative in informal speech — use genitive in formal writing.
- Nach for cities and countries. Zu for people, institutions, and specific places.
- Standard contractions: am, beim, im, vom, zum, zur (formal register). Ans, ins, aufs, fürs, ums (colloquial).
- Verb + preposition pairs fix the case of the following noun — learn them as units. The preposition determines the case, not the verb.
- Da-compounds replace preposition + pronoun when referring to things. Darauf, daran, darüber, darin, darum. Never used for people — use preposition + pronoun instead.
- No preposition ever takes nominative.