ortPlayFree practice · Prepositions
German prepositions and their cases.
Choose the missing preposition, then use the chart below to explore its meaning and case.
About this practice
28 prepositions and 103 phrases. No account needed.
Which preposition?
… Ende
at the end
Press 1 to 4 to answer.
The chart
Prepositions, by case.
A preposition decides the case of the noun after it. Most take one case. Nine take two: the dative for where something is, the accusative for where it is going.
Compare Ich laufe im Park. (I’m running in the park) with Ich laufe in den Park. (I’m running into the park). Both involve movement; only the second describes a destination.
Always accusative6
The noun after these is in the accusative, whatever the sentence is doing.
- bisuntil, as far asbis acht Uhr · until eight o'clockbis zum Ende · until the end
- durchthroughdurch die Straße · through the streetdurch das Haus · through the house
- fürforfür die Familie · for the familyfür die Leute · for the people
- gegenagainst, towardsgegen die Zeit · against the clockgegen den Mann · against the man
- ohnewithoutohne Geld · without moneyohne Antwort · without an answer
- umaround, at (a time)um die Welt · around the worldum acht Uhr · at eight o'clock
Always dative9
The noun after these is in the dative, every time.
- ausout of, fromaus dem Haus · out of the houseaus der Familie · from the family
- außerexcept, apart fromaußer dem Kind · except the childaußer der Familie · except the family
- beiat, near, withbei der Ankunft · on arrivalbei der Familie · with the family (at their place)
- gegenüberoppositegegenüber dem Haus · opposite the housegegenüber der Schule · opposite the school
- mitwithmit der Familie · with the familymit dem Mann · with the man
- nachafter, tonach Hause · home (homewards)nach der Ankunft · after the arrival
- seitsince, for (a length of time)seit der Ankunft · since the arrivalseit dem Moment · since that moment
- vonfrom, ofvon der Familie · from the familyvom Mann · from the man
- zuto, atzu Hause · at homezur gleichen Zeit · at the same time
Two-way9
Dative for where something is (wo?), accusative for where it is going (wohin?). Moving around inside a place is still dative. In a fixed phrase the case comes with the verb: warten auf takes the accusative.
- anat, on (a side or surface)am Ende · at the endam Haus · on the house (against its wall)
- aufon, ontoauf dem Platz · on the squareauf die Frage · to the question (an answer to it)
- hinterbehindhinter dem Haus · behind the househinter der Schule · behind the school
- inin, intoin der Welt · in the worldin der Familie · in the family
- nebennext to, besidesneben dem Haus · next to the houseneben der Frau · next to the woman
- überover, above, aboutüber die Welt · about the worldüber dem Kopf · above the head
- unterunder, amongunter den Leuten · among the peopleunter dem Buch · under the book
- vorin front of, beforevor dem Haus · in front of the housevor dem Ende · before the end
- zwischenbetweenzwischen den Kindern · between the childrenzwischen den Häusern · between the houses
Genitive4
Written German uses the genitive after these. In speech you will often hear the dative instead.
- stattinstead ofstatt einer Antwort · instead of an answerstatt des Geldes · instead of the money
- trotzdespitetrotz der Angst · despite the feartrotz des Geldes · despite the money
- währendduringwährend der Arbeit · during workwährend des Spiels · during the game
- wegenbecause ofwegen der Arbeit · because of workwegen des Geldes · because of the money
The short forms
Common preposition–article contractions.
Some prepositions combine with dem, der, or das. The short form is the normal one, and fixed phrases always use it: zum Beispiel, am Montag. Writing the two words out points at one thing in particular: in dem Haus, “in that house”.
- aman dem
- imin dem
- ansan das
- insin das
- zumzu dem
- zurzu der
- beimbei dem
- vomvon dem
Continue in the course
Add lessons and scheduled reviews.
In the course, preposition practice selects phrases using words you have learned and schedules them for review.
For location versus destination, including movement within a place, read the two-way prepositions guide.
The prepositions, phrases, and case notes come from the Wortplay course. Its vocabulary draws on the Ding dictionary and on frequency data from wordfreq. About the sources.