German Prepositions: Complete Guide with Case Requirements

Q: How do I know when to use accusative or dative with two-way prepositions?

Ask yourself whether the sentence describes motion toward a destination or a static location. If something is moving INTO, ONTO, or TOWARD a new position (answering wohin, where to?), use accusative. If something is already located somewhere (answering wo, where?), use dative. Example: Ich gehe in die Küche (accusative, I'm going into the kitchen) vs. Ich bin in der Küche (dative, I am in the kitchen). A helpful test: if you can replace the preposition with into or onto in English, it's accusative. If you can replace it with in or on (static), it's dative.

Q: What are the 9 German prepositions?

The nine two-way prepositions are: in, an, auf, vor, hinter, über, unter, neben, and zwischen. These are called two-way because they take accusative for motion and dative for location. This group is the most important for intermediate learners because mastering the motion/location distinction significantly improves your German fluency. These prepositions appear frequently in everyday conversation and writing. Focus on learning them thoroughly with both accusative and dative examples. Spaced repetition makes the accusative and dative choices automatic.

Q: What are the three types of prepositions in German?

German prepositions divide into four main types by the cases they require. Accusative prepositions always take accusative (durch, für, gegen, ohne, um). Dative prepositions always take dative (aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu). Two-way prepositions take accusative for motion and dative for location (in, an, auf, vor, hinter, über, unter, neben, zwischen). Genitive prepositions take genitive and appear mainly in formal writing (wegen, trotz, während, statt, außerhalb, innerhalb). The two-way prepositions are the most challenging because you must judge context. The other three groups have fixed cases, making them easier to memorize.

GermanBy FluentFlash Research Team·Updated 2026-04-30

German prepositions are critical for intermediate fluency, but they work differently than English. Each German preposition triggers a specific grammatical case on the noun that follows it. The preposition you choose determines whether articles and adjectives take accusative, dative, or genitive forms.

German prepositions fall into four main groups: accusative prepositions (always accusative), dative prepositions (always dative), two-way prepositions (accusative for movement, dative for location), and genitive prepositions (formal writing only). Two-way prepositions are the trickiest because you must judge whether the sentence shows motion toward a destination or a static location.

Spaced repetition helps you internalize prepositions and their cases together. Study the lists below and drill until case choice feels automatic, not effortful.

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Key Takeaways

•Learn each preposition WITH its case as a single unit. Never separate them in your mind. Use mnemonics like DOGFU for accusative and the rhythmic sequence for dative.
•Accusative prepositions (durch, für, gegen, ohne, um) always take accusative. Use the mnemonic DOGFU to memorize them quickly.
•Dative prepositions (aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu) always take dative. Try singing them to a familiar tune for faster retention.
•Two-way prepositions (in, an, auf, vor, hinter, über, unter, neben, zwischen) use accusative for motion (wohin?) and dative for location (wo?). This is the most important rule for intermediate German.
•Genitive prepositions (wegen, trotz, während, statt) appear in formal writing. In spoken German, dative forms are increasingly common but learn genitive for accuracy.

Accusative Prepositions, Always Take Accusative

These five prepositions always take the accusative case, regardless of context. Memorize them with the mnemonic DOGFU (durch, ohne, gegen, für, um) or create your own acronym. The article der becomes den in accusative; ein becomes einen. Die and das remain unchanged.

Key Pattern

When you see these five prepositions, automatically use accusative articles and endings. No exceptions.

Examples in Context

Durch den Park gehen (walk through the park), für meinen Bruder (for my brother), gegen diese Idee (against this idea), ohne Milch (without milk), um acht Uhr (at eight o'clock).

durch (through): Wir gehen durch den Park.
für (for): Das Geschenk ist für meinen Bruder.
gegen (against, toward): Ich bin gegen diese Idee.
ohne (without): Ich trinke Kaffee ohne Milch.
um (around, at time): Das Treffen ist um acht Uhr.

Term	Meaning	Pronunciation	Example
durch (+ acc)	through	doorch	Wir gehen durch den Park., We walk through the park.
für (+ acc)	for	fyoor	Das Geschenk ist für meinen Bruder., The gift is for my brother.
gegen (+ acc)	against / toward	GAY-gen	Ich bin gegen diese Idee., I am against this idea.
ohne (+ acc)	without	OH-neh	Ich trinke Kaffee ohne Milch., I drink coffee without milk.
um (+ acc)	around / at (time)	oom	Das Treffen ist um acht Uhr., The meeting is at 8 o'clock.

Dative Prepositions, Always Take Dative

These prepositions always take the dative case. Memorize them as a rhythmic sequence: aus, außer, bei, gegenüber, mit, nach, seit, von, zu. Try singing this to a familiar tune for faster retention.

Articles change to dative forms: der becomes dem, die becomes der, das becomes dem, den (plural) becomes den.

Dative Indicators

Dative prepositions often describe origin, location, or accompaniment rather than movement. Think: where is something, where did it come from, or who is with someone.

Real Usage

Ich komme aus Deutschland (I come from Germany), wohne bei meinen Eltern (I live with my parents), fahre mit dem Bus (I travel by bus), fliege nach Berlin (I fly to Berlin).

aus (out of, from): Ich komme aus Deutschland.
außer (except for, besides): Alle außer dem Lehrer waren da.
bei (at, near, with someone): Ich wohne bei meinen Eltern.
gegenüber (across from, opposite): Das Café ist gegenüber der Bank.
mit (with, by transport): Ich fahre mit dem Bus.
nach (to cities, after): Wir fliegen nach Berlin.
seit (since, for time): Ich lerne Deutsch seit einem Jahr.
von (from, of, by): Das Buch ist von meiner Freundin.
zu (to people, places): Ich gehe zum Arzt.

Term	Meaning	Pronunciation	Example
aus (+ dat)	out of / from (origin)	ows	Ich komme aus Deutschland., I come from Germany.
außer (+ dat)	except for / besides	OW-sser	Alle außer dem Lehrer waren da., Everyone except the teacher was there.
bei (+ dat)	at / near / with (at someone's place)	bye	Ich wohne bei meinen Eltern., I live with my parents.
gegenüber (+ dat)	across from / opposite	GAY-gen-yoo-ber	Das Café ist gegenüber der Bank., The café is across from the bank.
mit (+ dat)	with / by (transport)	mit	Ich fahre mit dem Bus., I travel by bus.
nach (+ dat)	to (cities/countries) / after	nahkh	Wir fliegen nach Berlin., We fly to Berlin.
seit (+ dat)	since / for (time duration)	zite	Ich lerne Deutsch seit einem Jahr., I've been learning German for a year.
von (+ dat)	from / of / by	fon	Das Buch ist von meiner Freundin., The book is from my friend.
zu (+ dat)	to (people/places)	tsoo	Ich gehe zum Arzt., I'm going to the doctor. (zu + dem = zum)

Two-Way Prepositions, Accusative or Dative Depending on Motion

These nine prepositions take accusative for movement toward a destination and dative for static location. This is the single most important rule for intermediate German.

The key test: ask yourself "wohin?" (where to?) for accusative motion, or "wo?" (where?) for dative location. If the sentence shows something or someone moving INTO, ONTO, or TOWARD a new place, use accusative. If something is already located somewhere, use dative.

Motion vs. Location Example

Ich gehe in die Küche (accusative, I'm going INTO the kitchen). Ich bin in der Küche (dative, I am LOCATED IN the kitchen). Notice the different articles and the different meanings.

All Nine Two-Way Prepositions

in (in, into), an (at, on vertical), auf (on horizontal, onto), vor (in front of), hinter (behind), über (over, above), unter (under), neben (beside), zwischen (between).
in (in / into): Ich gehe in die Küche (acc). / Ich bin in der Küche (dat).
an (at / on vertical): Er hängt das Bild an die Wand (acc). / Das Bild hängt an der Wand (dat).
auf (on horizontal / onto): Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch (acc). / Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch (dat).
vor (in front of / before): Ich stelle das Auto vor das Haus (acc). / Das Auto steht vor dem Haus (dat).
hinter (behind): Die Katze läuft hinter den Baum (acc). / Die Katze ist hinter dem Baum (dat).
über (over / above / about): Der Vogel fliegt über den See (acc). / Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch (dat).
unter (under): Die Maus läuft unter den Tisch (acc). / Die Maus ist unter dem Tisch (dat).
neben (next to / beside): Setz dich neben mich (acc). / Er sitzt neben mir (dat).
zwischen (between): Stell den Stuhl zwischen die Tische (acc). / Der Stuhl steht zwischen den Tischen (dat).

Term	Meaning	Pronunciation	Example
in (+ acc/dat)	in / into	in	Ich gehe in die Küche (acc). / Ich bin in der Küche (dat)., I'm going into the kitchen. / I'm in the kitchen.
an (+ acc/dat)	at / on (vertical surface)	ahn	Er hängt das Bild an die Wand (acc). / Das Bild hängt an der Wand (dat)., He hangs the picture on the wall. / The picture is on the wall.
auf (+ acc/dat)	on (horizontal surface) / onto	owf	Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch (acc). / Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch (dat)., I put the book on the table. / The book is on the table.
vor (+ acc/dat)	in front of / before	for	Ich stelle das Auto vor das Haus (acc). / Das Auto steht vor dem Haus (dat)., I park the car in front of the house.
hinter (+ acc/dat)	behind	HIN-ter	Die Katze läuft hinter den Baum (acc). / Die Katze ist hinter dem Baum (dat)., The cat runs behind the tree.
über (+ acc/dat)	over / above / about	OO-ber	Der Vogel fliegt über den See (acc). / Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch (dat)., The bird flies over the lake. / The lamp hangs over the table.
unter (+ acc/dat)	under	OON-ter	Die Maus läuft unter den Tisch (acc). / Die Maus ist unter dem Tisch (dat)., The mouse runs under the table.
neben (+ acc/dat)	next to / beside	NAY-ben	Setz dich neben mich (acc). / Er sitzt neben mir (dat)., Sit next to me. / He sits next to me.
zwischen (+ acc/dat)	between	TSVISH-en	Stell den Stuhl zwischen die Tische (acc). / Der Stuhl steht zwischen den Tischen (dat)., Put the chair between the tables.

Genitive Prepositions, Formal Written German

These prepositions take the genitive case and appear mainly in formal writing, academic texts, and official documents. In everyday conversation, native speakers often replace genitive forms with dative constructions.

Genitive articles: des (masculine singular), der (feminine singular), des (neuter singular), der (plural).

When You'll See Genitive Prepositions

Newspapers, textbooks, legal documents, and academic writing use genitive prepositions consistently. Spoken German and casual writing increasingly use dative alternatives. As a learner, master the genitive forms for writing and recognize the dative variants in conversation.

Common Genitive Prepositions

während (during): Während des Sommers reisen wir.
trotz (despite): Trotz des Regens gingen wir spazieren.
wegen (because of): Wegen des Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause.
statt / anstatt (instead of): Statt des Autos nehmen wir den Zug.
außerhalb (outside of): Außerhalb der Stadt ist es ruhiger.
innerhalb (within): Innerhalb einer Woche schicke ich es.

Term	Meaning	Pronunciation	Example
während (+ gen)	during	VEH-rend	Während des Sommers reisen wir., During the summer we travel.
trotz (+ gen)	despite / in spite of	trots	Trotz des Regens gingen wir spazieren., Despite the rain, we went for a walk.
wegen (+ gen)	because of	VAY-gen	Wegen des Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause., Because of the weather, we're staying home.
statt / anstatt (+ gen)	instead of	shtat / ahn-shtat	Statt des Autos nehmen wir den Zug., Instead of the car, we take the train.
außerhalb (+ gen)	outside of	OW-ser-hahlp	Außerhalb der Stadt ist es ruhiger., Outside the city it is quieter.
innerhalb (+ gen)	within / inside of	IN-ner-hahlp	Innerhalb einer Woche schicke ich es., I'll send it within a week.

How to Study German Effectively

Mastering German requires the right study approach, not just more hours. Three evidence-based techniques produce the best learning outcomes: active recall (testing yourself rather than re-reading), spaced repetition (reviewing at scientifically-optimized intervals), and interleaving (mixing related topics rather than studying one in isolation).

The most common mistake students make is relying on passive review methods. Re-reading notes, highlighting textbook passages, or watching lecture videos feels productive, but studies show these produce only 10-20% of the retention that active recall achieves. Flashcards force your brain to retrieve information, which strengthens memory pathways far more than recognition alone.

Why Spaced Repetition Works

When you study with spaced repetition, every term is scheduled for review at exactly the moment you're about to forget it. This maximizes retention while minimizing study time. You'll learn more in 20 minutes a day than in long, infrequent cram sessions.

Practical 3-Week Study Plan

Start by creating 15-25 flashcards covering the highest-priority concepts. Review them daily for the first week. As cards become easier, intervals automatically expand from minutes to days to weeks. After 2-3 weeks of consistent practice, German concepts become automatic rather than effortful to recall.

Generate flashcards using AI or create them manually from your notes.
Study 15-20 new cards per day, plus scheduled reviews.
Use multiple study modes (flip, multiple choice, written) to strengthen recall.
Track your progress and identify weak topics for focused review.
Review consistently, daily practice beats marathon sessions.

1
Generate flashcards using FluentFlash AI or create them manually from your notes
2
Study 15-20 new cards per day, plus scheduled reviews
3
Use multiple study modes (flip, multiple choice, written) to strengthen recall
4
Track your progress and identify weak topics for focused review
5
Review consistently, daily practice beats marathon sessions

Master German Prepositions with Flashcards

Use AI-powered spaced repetition to drill German prepositions with their correct cases. FluentFlash makes case endings automatic so you speak German with confidence.

Study with Free Flashcards

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest way to memorize German prepositions and their cases?

Learn each preposition with its case as a single unit, never separating them. Use mnemonics: DOGFU (durch, ohne, gegen, für, um) for accusative prepositions, and the rhythmic sequence aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu for dative prepositions. Try singing the dative list to a familiar tune.

For two-way prepositions, ask yourself wohin (where to?) for accusative motion or wo (where?) for dative location. Build flashcards showing the preposition, its case, and an example sentence together.

Spaced repetition will cement these associations so the case choice becomes automatic when you speak or write.

How do I know when to use accusative or dative with two-way prepositions?

Ask yourself whether the sentence describes motion toward a destination or a static location. If something is moving INTO, ONTO, or TOWARD a new position (answering wohin, where to?), use accusative. If something is already located somewhere (answering wo, where?), use dative.

Example: Ich gehe in die Küche (accusative, I'm going into the kitchen) vs. Ich bin in der Küche (dative, I am in the kitchen). A helpful test: if you can replace the preposition with into or onto in English, it's accusative. If you can replace it with in or on (static), it's dative.

Do Germans actually use genitive prepositions in conversation?

In modern spoken German, genitive prepositions like wegen, trotz, and während are increasingly used with the dative case instead. You'll frequently hear "wegen dem Wetter" (because of the weather) in casual speech, even though "wegen des Wetters" is technically correct.

In formal writing, newspapers, academic texts, and official communication, the genitive remains standard. Language purists insist on the genitive, but native speakers in everyday conversation often default to dative. Learn the genitive forms correctly for written work while recognizing the dative versions in conversation.

What are German contractions with prepositions?

German frequently contracts prepositions with definite articles to form shorter, more natural-sounding forms. The most common contractions are:

zu + dem = zum
zu + der = zur
in + das = ins
in + dem = im
an + das = ans
an + dem = am
bei + dem = beim
von + dem = vom
auf + das = aufs

These contractions are standard in both spoken and written German. Ich gehe zum Arzt sounds more natural than Ich gehe zu dem Arzt. When you want to emphasize the specific noun, use the full form. Learn these contractions as fixed phrases and they'll become automatic.

What are the 9 German prepositions?

The nine two-way prepositions are: in, an, auf, vor, hinter, über, unter, neben, and zwischen. These are called two-way because they take accusative for motion and dative for location. This group is the most important for intermediate learners because mastering the motion/location distinction significantly improves your German fluency.

These prepositions appear frequently in everyday conversation and writing. Focus on learning them thoroughly with both accusative and dative examples. Spaced repetition makes the accusative and dative choices automatic.

What are the 20 most common prepositions?

The most commonly used prepositions combine across all four groups. The accusative group includes: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um (5 prepositions). The dative group includes: aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu (8 prepositions). The two-way group includes: in, an, auf, vor, hinter, über, unter, neben, zwischen (9 prepositions).

That covers 22 core prepositions. Genitive prepositions like wegen, trotz, and während are less frequent but important for written German. Focusing on these high-frequency prepositions first will give you the maximum benefit in conversation and basic writing.

What are the three types of prepositions in German?

German prepositions divide into four main types by the cases they require. Accusative prepositions always take accusative (durch, für, gegen, ohne, um). Dative prepositions always take dative (aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu). Two-way prepositions take accusative for motion and dative for location (in, an, auf, vor, hinter, über, unter, neben, zwischen). Genitive prepositions take genitive and appear mainly in formal writing (wegen, trotz, während, statt, außerhalb, innerhalb).

The two-way prepositions are the most challenging because you must judge context. The other three groups have fixed cases, making them easier to memorize.

What are the 25 prepositions?

A comprehensive list of 25 German prepositions includes all four categories. Five accusative prepositions: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um. Nine dative prepositions: aus, außer, bei, gegenüber, mit, nach, seit, von, zu. Nine two-way prepositions: in, an, auf, vor, hinter, über, unter, neben, zwischen. Six genitive prepositions: während, trotz, wegen, statt, anstatt, außerhalb, innerhalb (7 if you count both variants).

That totals approximately 25 prepositions. These represent the core prepositions you'll encounter in everyday German. Prioritize the accusative, dative, and two-way groups first since they appear most frequently in conversation.