German prepositions with either dative or accusative
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Sign up for freePrepositions always require a specific grammar case, that can make learning them sometimes hard. However, there are some prepositions that can com with either the dative and accusative case. The most important part with those prepositions is recognizing the context in which it is used.
- You use the dative, when you tell a position - Wo? (Where?)
- You use the accusative, when you express a motion - Wohin? (Where to?)
Lesson outline
HideList of Prepositions with Dative and Accusative
| Preposition | Translation | Example with Dative | Translation | Example with accusative | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An | At | Er steht an der Tür. | He's standing at the door | Ich stelle ihn an die Tür. | I put it at the door |
| Auf | On | Ein Vogel sitzt auf dem Dach. | A bird is sitting on the roof | Ein Vogel fliegt auf das Dach. | A bird flies on the roof |
| Hinter | Behind | Ein Hund sitzt hinter dem Haus. | A dog is sitting behind the house | Ein Hund läuft hinter das Haus. | A dog walks behind the house |
| In | In | Das Hemd hängt in dem Schrank. | The shirt is hanging in the closet | Ich hänge das Hemd in den Schrank. | I hang the shirt in the closet |
| Neben | Next to | Mein Fahrrad steht neben dem Baum. | My bike stands next to the tree | Ich stelle mein Fahrrad neben den Baum. | I put my bike next to the tree |
| Über | Above | Der Vogel ist über dem Gebäude. | The bird is above the building | Der Vogel fliegt über das Gebäude. | The bird flies above the building |
| Unter | Under | Der Maulwurf ist unter der Erde. | The mole is under the ground | Der Maulwurf gräbt sich unter die Erde. | The mole is digging under the ground |
| Vor | In front of | Ich stehe vor dem Eingang. | I am standing in front of the entrance | Ich gehe vor den Eingang. | I'm going in front of the entrance |
Zwischen | Between | Mein Auto steht zwischen dem Baum und der Laterne. | My car is standing between the tree and the lantern | Ich parke mein Auto zwischen den Baum und der Laterne. | I park my car between the tree and the lantern |
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