{"id":93093,"date":"2023-05-03T21:43:22","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T01:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/german-prepositions\/"},"modified":"2025-06-13T03:02:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T07:02:25","slug":"german-prepositions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/german-prepositions\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Prepositions in German"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Maybe you have been struggling with your <em>mit<\/em>s and <em>auf<\/em>s. Maybe prepositions are going to be\u00a0the subject of your next class and you simply want a head start.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the case, you\u2019ve come to the right place. I&#8217;ll have you knitting prepositions into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/common-german-phrases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">your German sentences<\/a> beautifully by the end of this.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>How Prepositions Work in German<\/h2>\n<p>Prepositions are words that link a noun to the rest of the sentence. They usually tell you about time, place and direction.<\/p>\n<p>Examples of English prepositions include <strong>on, out, under, from, with, about <\/strong>and<strong> until<\/strong>, but there are many more. They are those little words that you don\u2019t even notice you\u2019re using, but which completely change the meaning of the sentence.<\/p>\n<p>In German, using prepositions is more complicated because of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/\">German\u2019s case system<\/a>. German prepositions affect the case of the noun that follows them.<\/p>\n<p>There are four German cases: nominative, accusative, dative and genitive.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/german-grammar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Most German sentences<\/a> include at least one case.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>nominative case<\/strong> is the subject of the sentence.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>accusative case<\/strong>\u00a0is typically used for the\u00a0direct object of the sentence.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>dative case<\/strong> usually occurs as the indirect object of a sentence.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>genitive<\/strong><strong> case<\/strong> is typically used to show possession.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The great thing about prepositions and the cases is that it stops you from having to worry about what function the noun in playing in the clause (Is it a direct object? An indirect object? etc.). Instead, all you have to do is look at the preposition.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you want to say that you\u2019re going somewhere with your parents, you automatically know that <em>Eltern \u00a0<\/em>(parents) must be in <strong>dative <\/strong>because it&#8217;s preceded by <em>mit <\/em> (with).<\/p>\n<p>But we\u2019ll get to that in due course. For now, let\u2019s look at the different types of prepositions you might encounter.<\/p>\n<h2>German Prepositions That Take the Accusative<\/h2>\n<p>There are many prepositions which are always followed by the accusative case. So it doesn\u2019t matter where it comes in a sentence, the noun directly following these prepositions are automatically in the accusative.<\/p>\n<p>A list of these would look a lot like this:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\n<table id=\"tablepress-825555\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-825555\">\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-620a8020a9b926704d9380a736122571-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>bis<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">until, up to, by<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-dde4e3e27e117357c82fc9b76e5a45d6-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>durch<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">through, across<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-3d50afa1c53103bb09bb854d50dc02f2-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>entlang<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">along<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-fd78370cb23be440dba90b5be2234e4f-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>f\u00fcr<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">for<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-12a22981971449344b31e25963b12439-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>gegen<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">against, towards<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-018966d56a804abeb4eaa9861261dce0-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>ohne<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">without<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-f37918c24e6b7ddf9ef7363f87a1ddfd-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>um<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">around, about, <br \/>\nat (when talking about time)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-825555 from cache --><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>German Prepositions That Take the Dative<\/h2>\n<p>Alongside prepositions that take the accusative, there are also those which only take the dative. These work exactly the same way as accusative prepositions, but (obviously) they are followed by the dative case.<\/p>\n<p>These include:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\n<table id=\"tablepress-835555\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-835555\">\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-16b848249198bc2a88136870774d5329-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>ab<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">from (referring to time)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-9b40a352b4cc3d4acf1eec03946d7340-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>laut<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">according to<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-0f3e741b14a2de52de8287c6c034f5cf-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>aus<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">out of, from<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-c9e9e27204177db79b455da5f8841a9f-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>mit<\/em>\u00a0        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">with<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-f44fbeddbfa9665f5b44e10497a8fa78-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>au\u00dfer<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">except for, apart from<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-82e71415383afbcf5c91a7a625bf16c8-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>nach<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">after, to (referring to direction), <br \/>\naccording to<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-9469005b392cea99f09c749f79c95ded-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>bei<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">by, at, in view of<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-389ec17a22ff80b4510b23570ace13ca-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>seit<\/em>\u00a0        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">for, since<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-c7879865a4fd7c598244eff825a7ccb5-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>dank<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">thanks to <br \/>\n(can also be followed by the genitive)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-40773b41e3dabaf71cc9455d824ef3f8-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>von<\/em>\u00a0        <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">from, of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-680edc3521c902abd39acbee0c0c9668-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>entgegen<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">contrary to<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-f30ed0a9339b4f7d864304f51386f361-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>zu<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">to<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-f749fdbe4cf0bc45fa8f015cca927037-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>gegen\u00fcber<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">opposite<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-4790cae71c0d92237119e7f914dea6a5-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>zufolge<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">according to <br \/>\n(follows the noun)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-ff55b084ac60d1845d5e173c1e4ff2ff-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>gem\u00e4\u00df<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">according to<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-835555 from cache --><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It can be hard work remembering which prepositions take which case, but there are ways of making it stick. It\u2019s best to learn which case a preposition takes when you\u2019re in the process of learning the word.<\/p>\n<div style=\"float: right;\" id=\"fluen-4024237803\"><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"fluentu.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fluentu-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fluentu-2.png 512w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fluentu-2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fluentu-2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fluentu-2-65x65.png 65w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fluentu-2-120x120.png 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>So, however you choose to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/how-to-learn-german-vocabulary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">learn your vocabulary<\/a>, make sure you write the corresponding case on those flashcards or posters, and don\u2019t forget to chant the case alongside the preposition as you\u2019re waiting for the bus.<\/p>\n<p>For a more portable option, use a flashcard app to keep track of and review all your new vocab. An app like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/german\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a> will take this one step further and let you make flashcard decks with multimedia.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NativeAd-German.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n    <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n\n<p>Learning phrases with prepositions in them is another excellent way to learn which case they take. You always have a phrase to refer to if you can\u2019t remember off the top of your head.<\/p>\n<p>So for example, you might learn the phrase <em>entgegen allen Erwartungen \u00a0<\/em>(contrary to all expectations). From the <em>n<\/em> in <em>allen,<\/em>\u00a0you will always know that <em>entgegen<\/em> takes the <strong>dative<\/strong> (if it were <strong>accusative<\/strong> if would read <em>alle<\/em>).<\/p>\n<h2>Two-case German Prepositions<\/h2>\n<p>Now here\u2019s where things get interesting! <em><strong>Wechselpr\u00e4positionen <\/strong> <\/em>(two-case prepositions) are prepositions that can take either the dative or the accusative (Great!). Except, you can\u2019t use them interchangeably (Oh&#8230;). But fear not: There\u2019s a rule. And once you\u2019ve got that rule down, you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n<p>The rule is all about what you\u2019re trying to say, and it has to do with direction and position:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>If you\u2019re trying to express direction or change, use the accusative. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>If you\u2019re trying to state a static position, or that something is staying the same, use the dative.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easier with examples. Take the following sentence:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Ich h\u00e4nge das Bild <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>an die<\/strong><\/span> Wand. <\/em> (I hang the picture on the wall).<\/p>\n<p>Here, we are talking about a movement. I&#8217;m describing myself hanging up the picture, moving it <strong>onto\u00a0<\/strong>the wall. Therefore, we have a direction, so <em>an<\/em>\u00a0takes the accusative: <em>an die Wand.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, have a look at this next sentence:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Das Bild h\u00e4ngt <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>an der<\/strong><\/span> Wand. <\/em> (The picture is hanging on the wall.)<\/p>\n<p>This one expresses a static position: It tells the reader where the picture is, and implies no direction. In this case, the <em>an<\/em> takes the <strong>dative<\/strong>: <em>an der Wand.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Watch out for examples where there is movement, but no direction or change in state:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Wir gehen <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>im Park<\/strong><\/span> spazieren.\u00a0<\/em> (We&#8217;re walking in the park.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Although we&#8217;re describing movement, the movement is confined within the park, so there is <strong>no direction or change of state<\/strong>, so <em>in <\/em>takes the dative.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If we were to describe ourselves <strong>going to the park<\/strong>, however:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Wir gehen <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>in den<\/strong><\/span> Park. <\/em> (We&#8217;re going to the park.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here we&#8217;re going into the park, presumably from somewhere else. As there&#8217;s a <strong>direction and change of state<\/strong>,\u00a0<em>in\u00a0<\/em>takes the accusative here.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Make sense? Here are some more examples, just to make sure.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Directional:<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Ich lege das Buch <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>auf den<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Tisch.\u00a0<\/em>(I place the book on the table.)<br \/>\n<em>Ich setze mich <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>neben<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>meine<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Frau.\u00a0<\/em> (I sit down next to my wife)<br \/>\n<em>Heute gehen wir\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>in<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>die<\/strong><\/span> Stadt. (Today, we are going to town.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Positional:<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Das Buch liegt <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>auf<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>dem<\/strong><\/span> Tisch.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>(The book is on the table.)<br \/>\n<em><em>Ich sitze <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>neben<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>meiner<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Frau.<\/em> \u00a0<\/em>(I am sitting next to my wife.)<br \/>\n<em>Das Haus liegt <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>in<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>der<\/strong><\/span> Stadt.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>(The house is in town.)<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s also important to note examples where no literal movement is being described, but rather a change in state:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Die Raupe hat sich <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>in einen<\/strong><\/span> Schmetterling\u00a0verwandelt.  <\/em>(The caterpillar transformed into a butterfly.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here, after the preposition\u00a0<em>in<\/em>, you need to use the accusative case, as you are describing something\u00a0<strong>transforming into\u00a0<\/strong>something else. Change, ergo dative!\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>German Prepositions That Take the Genitive<\/h2>\n<p>Okay, I lied. There aren\u2019t just three categories of prepositions. There\u2019s actually a fourth: prepositions that take the genitive. But these are rarer, and there are only a couple that are really important to know.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ll let you in on a little secret, too: Many Germans don\u2019t use the genitive with these prepositions when they\u2019re speaking. They use the dative instead. But if you have exams to take or academic papers to write, we\u2019d advise using the genitive when you can.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a handy list of genitive prepositions:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\n<table id=\"tablepress-855555\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-855555\">\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-21f470f8212d431b69b8d211867c879d-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>anstatt<\/em>         <\/a>\n             <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-35f6ee15c6c4e555a783fdf1c66f40bd-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>statt<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">instead of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-40fb768ddb6c5011b8b77930fdbc1ef3-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>au\u00dferhalb<\/em>         <\/a>\n             <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-337237860421f1f1a93c163238ad3a9e-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>innerhalb<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <br \/>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-1a9799cc4cf24fb603380e369704a701-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>oberhalb<\/em>         <\/a>\n             <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-678bbf41c68992de26313767e577988a-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>unterhalb<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">outside\/inside\/<br \/>\nabove\/below<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-a10923cc7a64a2dd93262044d3959e01-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>diesseits<\/em>         <\/a>\n             <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-945cb11e13470cabbfc67e4eebadb129-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>jenseits<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <br \/>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-43effbf8dc19663d42cb5cc4b1754aaf-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>beiderseits<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">on this side of\/on the other side of\/<br \/>\non either side of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-7b65feb4b3eeb5374b58d0f1048b9efa-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>trotz<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">in spite of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-5d0f8d35d6937219d0d058eb59bc8fe5-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>unweit<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">not far from<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-eb606d487b4476b3ffa05514e8d37e80-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>w\u00e4hrend<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">during<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-e31b1dd4e7bd54e99a63047128a79367-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>wegen<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">because of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-855555 from cache --><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notice how all the prepositions ending in <em><strong>-halb<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0or <em><strong>-seits<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>take the genitive.<\/p>\n<p>Also, as a general rule, prepositions with an English translation which includes the word <strong>&#8220;to&#8221;<\/strong> <strong>take the dative <\/strong>(thanks to, according to&#8230;),\u00a0whereas most of those that\u00a0include the word <strong>&#8220;of&#8221;<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>take the genitive<\/strong> case (in spite of, because of&#8230;).<\/p>\n<p>Of course, that\u2019s not a hard and fast rule, but it\u2019s worth knowing for those times when you are without a dictionary and need to make an educated guess.<\/p>\n<h2>German Verbs That Take Prepositions<\/h2>\n<p>The last big thing to learn about prepositions is their relationship with verbs. And it turns out, verbs and prepositions tend to get kind of cozy with one another. Just as in English, there are specific verbs that are always followed by specific prepositions.<\/p>\n<p>Consider, for example, the verb &#8220;to fall in love.&#8221; In English, you fall in love <strong>with<\/strong> someone (if you\u2019re lucky\u2026or indeed, unlucky!). You never fall in love &#8220;about&#8221;\u00a0somebody or fall in love &#8220;for&#8221;\u00a0somebody.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the same in German. Except that unfortunately, the preposition\/verb combinations don\u2019t always match up. In German, you fall in love &#8220;in&#8221; someone:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Ich habe mich <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>in<\/strong><\/span> sie verliebt. <\/em> (I have fallen in love with her).<\/p>\n<p>I know, I know\u2014this sounds like a nightmare: How on earth are you meant to know which prepositions to use? Well, I\u2019m not going to lie. It\u2019s hard. But there are certain things you can do to lessen the struggle.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Learn the prepositions (and the cases that they take) at the same time as learning the verb. <\/strong>Learn the whole thing as a unit: instead of learning <em>sich verlieben<\/em> (to fall in love), learn <em>sich verlieben in \u00a0<\/em>(+ accusative). That way it will stick in your head.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Learn examples.<\/strong> Everyone is always going on about learning examples (myself included), but this is probably the most useful time to do it. When I was school, I learned a load of verb\/preposition combinations by sticking signs up all over my parents\u2019 house. On the inside of back door it read <em>Achten Sie auf das Glatteis \u00a0<\/em>(beware of the sheet ice), with a big warning sign above it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/de.pons.com\/daten\/pdf\/Praxis-Grammatik\/01_Verben_mit_Praepositionen.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here&#8217;s a handy list<\/a> of verb\/preposition combinations to get you started.<\/p>\n<h2>3 Ways to Use German Prepositions Like a Native<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Contractions<\/h3>\n<p>So, you\u2019ve got the basics down. Now to make yourself sound like a native. And one of the easiest things to do to achieve that aim? Use preposition contractions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s not just in spoken language; these can be written, too. It\u2019s like &#8220;don\u2019t&#8221; and &#8220;can\u2019t&#8221; in English, but even more common (and they don\u2019t use apostrophes for this kind of contraction).<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a list of the most common German contractions:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\n<table id=\"tablepress-865555\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-865555\">\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-3fe748a065cd91008c8cb096132d8b53-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>an<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-9750a4b8bfeb86576158fe2c452b4560-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>das<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-46b6ef9aab1a9aac7d6f428498fa2d89-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>ans<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-5d22b2402a03f3075555785a824475ba-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>in<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-6bd375326759b2074df7d6f99c3949e9-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>dem<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-446dc6730b6e804609e5336be157ac3d-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>im<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-3fe748a065cd91008c8cb096132d8b53-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>an<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-6bd375326759b2074df7d6f99c3949e9-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>dem<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-728e9111f82877d192616eb8564c3abb-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>am<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-7107acea4bde70e9ad039d19fc826b25-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>von<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-6bd375326759b2074df7d6f99c3949e9-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>dem<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-c805d45bb6e7277a1a862279f736bce0-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>vom<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-7969710b605738a5578f1f2918394ddb-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>auf<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-9750a4b8bfeb86576158fe2c452b4560-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>das<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-93db255063f61b7dab32ebff9b369980-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>aufs<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-f30ed0a9339b4f7d864304f51386f361-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>zu<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-6bd375326759b2074df7d6f99c3949e9-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>dem<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-121149507cad6c4a8787ca876dbf52e1-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>zum<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-9469005b392cea99f09c749f79c95ded-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>bei<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-6bd375326759b2074df7d6f99c3949e9-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>dem<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-1adb690a2a22b69bb0c8faff023c23f0-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>beim<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-3\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-f30ed0a9339b4f7d864304f51386f361-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>zu<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-1fc501611c72e85e8039a760471e9b78-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>der<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-4\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-9843dd6eaf13473abfc5ea14f72900fd-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\">zur         <\/a>\n    <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-5d22b2402a03f3075555785a824475ba-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>in<\/em>         <\/a>\n     <strong>+<\/strong>         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-9750a4b8bfeb86576158fe2c452b4560-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>das<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-14e5878987f532452a6333f559849a04-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>ins<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-865555 from cache --><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>2. Prepositional adverbs<\/h3>\n<p>Sounds scary, doesn\u2019t it? But actually it\u2019s really simple. So simple, that lots of people start using them without even noticing they\u2019re doing it. In fact, I didn\u2019t even know what they were called until I just looked it up.<\/p>\n<p>Prepositional adverbs are formed by taking a preposition and putting the prefix <em><strong>da-<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(or <strong><em>dar-<\/em><\/strong> if the preposition begins with a vowel) on the beginning. So <em><strong>auf<\/strong> <\/em><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>becomes <em><strong>darauf<\/strong> ,<\/em> <em>von <\/em><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>becomes <em><strong>davon<\/strong> ,<\/em>\u00a0and so on. They are used to refer back to something you\u2019ve just mentioned, and the Germans use them all the time.<\/p>\n<p>Again, it\u2019s probably easiest to understand using examples.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Ich fahre morgen nach Berlin, aber meine Mutter wei\u00df nichts <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>davon<\/strong><\/span>. <\/em>(Tomorrow, I\u2019m going to Berlin, but my mother doesn\u2019t know anything <strong>about it<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Er hat einen neuen Job und er freut sich sehr <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">dar\u00fcber<\/span>. <\/strong><\/em><br \/>\n(He has a new job and he\u2019s really pleased <strong>about it<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p>The <strong><em>da<\/em><\/strong> + preposition word can also come before the thing you\u2019re referring to, as in the following examples:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Ich denke dar\u00fcber nach, mein Auto zu verkaufen.\u00a0<\/em><br \/>\n(I&#8217;m thinking about selling my car.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Sie tr\u00e4umt davon, eines Tages Schauspielerin zu werden.\u00a0 <\/em>(She dreams about becoming an actress one day.)<\/p>\n<p>This happens when you\u2019re using a verb (or verbal phrase) which is usually used with a preposition, but you don\u2019t have a noun to follow the preposition. Many verbs don\u2019t really make sense in German without their prepositions (see the list above), so you have to find a way to keep the preposition.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the first sentence uses the verbal phrase <em>\u00fcber etwas  ( <\/em>+ <em>Akkusativ ) nachdenken  <\/em>(to think about something).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In this case, it is simple: The noun that follows <strong><em>\u00fcber <\/em><\/strong>is put in the accusative case. In the example, however, the thing that I am thinking about is not a noun, but a whole clause with a verb\u2014selling my car. Because you cannot put an entire clause in the accusative case, you have to put in a little <em><strong>da-<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>It may seem a little weird at first, but after a while it becomes completely natural. In German, the sentences are very well-ordered. Everything must be tied up and neat.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore you can\u2019t leave a preposition hanging without a noun, so the <em><strong>da-<\/strong><\/em> is just a way of tidying up. If you think about a literal translation of that example sentence, things may become a little clearer: I am thinking about (the idea of) selling my car.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>3. Phrases with prepositions<\/h3>\n<p>And one final tip for the keen beans: There are loads of great idiomatic phrases that\u00a0use prepositions which are really handy in everyday speech.<\/p>\n<p>Learn these, and you&#8217;ll have the whole prepositions thing down. And you&#8217;ll have your German business partners\/school exchange partners\/hotel staff\/friends eating out of your hands.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few to get you started:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\n<table id=\"tablepress-875555\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-875555\">\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-1c201ee26cea853901106113de26222e-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>Es kommt darauf an.<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">It depends.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-2b8190efd02b105566cc1e06e46ad677-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>Ich bin damit einverstanden.<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">I agree.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-0b2a094baecee93899fdc0565f7b9be3-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>Ich halte nicht viel davon.<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">I don't think much of it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-5c1c3fe7135913883c8c9b6bdb4de7b2-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>Beim besten Willen nicht<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">By no stretch of the imagination<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-442739f1f7a85a86a3e8009921946e6a-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>H\u00f6r auf damit!<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Cut it out!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-4c3173703e111c164066d8d5724b6789-neural-Vicki.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>Keine Spur davon<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">No sign of it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/v1-025a47807df04c261e6fb648364a1141-neural-Salli.mp3\" class=\"tts-link\"><em>mit Waschbrettbauch<\/em>         <\/a>\n    <\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Ripped, muscly<br \/>\nLiterally: with a washboard stomach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-875555 from cache --><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So there you have it, German prepositions in a nutshell.<\/p>\n<p>They may not be the easiest thing to learn, but they are seriously useful. And if you do everything we&#8217;ve suggested here, you&#8217;ll soon be laughing and thinking, &#8220;What did I even find so complicated?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nWant to know the key to learning German effectively?\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nIt's using the right content and tools, <strong><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">like FluentU has to offer<\/a><\/strong>! Browse hundreds of videos, take endless quizzes and master the German language faster than you've ever imagine! \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2005\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/German-5.jpg\" alt=\"learn-german-with-videos\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nWatching a fun video, but having trouble understanding it? <strong>FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive subtitles.<\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2006\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/German-2.jpg\" alt=\"learn-german-with-interactive-videos\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nYou can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don't know, you can add it to a vocabulary list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2007\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/German-6.jpg\" alt=\"learn-conversational-german-with-subtitled-dialogue\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nAnd FluentU isn't just for watching videos. It's a complete platform for learning. It's designed to effectively teach you all the vocabulary from any video. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you're on.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2008\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/German-7.png\" alt=\"practice-german-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you're learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maybe you have been struggling with your mits and aufs. Maybe prepositions are going to be\u00a0the subject of your next class and you simply want a head start. Whatever the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":252433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"How to Use Prepositions in German | FluentU German Blog","description":"German prepositions are useful words for building sentences, but their rules can be tricky if you're new to them. So check out our ultimate guide to learning German prepositions as easily as possible. We cover what the prepositions are and the cases that go with them, like the accusative, dative and genitive. Let's go!"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[525,530,532],"tags":[],"coauthors":[483],"class_list":["post-93093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-german","category-grammar","category-parts-of-speech-grammar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93093"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254500,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93093\/revisions\/254500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93093"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=93093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}