Language/German/Grammar/Two-Way-Prepositions
Հայերէն
Български език
官话
官話
Hrvatski jezik
Český jazyk
Nederlands
English
Suomen kieli
Français
עברית
हिन्दी
Magyar
Bahasa Indonesia
فارسی
Italiano
日本語
Қазақ тілі
한국어
Lietuvių kalba
Νέα Ελληνικά
Şimali Azərbaycanlılar
Język polski
Português
Limba Română
Русский язык
Српски
Español
العربية القياسية
Svenska
Wikang Tagalog
தமிழ்
ภาษาไทย
Türkçe
Українська мова
Urdu
Tiếng Việt
| ◀️ Using Prepositions — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Food and Meals ▶️ |
Introduction[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we will explore the concept of two-way prepositions in German grammar. Prepositions are essential words that express relationships between different parts of a sentence. Two-way prepositions, also known as dual prepositions or two-case prepositions, are a unique group of prepositions that can take either the accusative or dative case, depending on the context. Understanding how to use these prepositions correctly is crucial for building accurate and meaningful sentences in German.
What are Two-Way Prepositions?[edit | edit source]
Two-way prepositions are prepositions that can govern both the accusative and dative cases in German. This means that the case used after these prepositions can change depending on the specific context of the sentence. There are nine two-way prepositions in German:
- an (at, on, to)
- auf (on, onto)
- hinter (behind)
- in (in, into)
- neben (next to, beside)
- über (over, above)
- unter (under, below)
- vor (in front of, before)
- zwischen (between)
Accusative or Dative?[edit | edit source]
The choice between the accusative and dative case after a two-way preposition depends on whether the preposition indicates movement or location. If the preposition indicates movement, it takes the accusative case. If it indicates location, it takes the dative case.
Let's take a closer look at each of the two-way prepositions and how they function with the accusative and dative cases:
an (at, on, to)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: an + accusative indicates movement towards something.
- Dative: an + dative indicates location or being at/on something.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ich gehe an den Strand. | [ɪç ˈɡeːə ʔan deːn ʃtʁant] | I am going to the beach. (movement) |
| Die Tasse steht an dem Tisch. | [diː ˈtasə ʃteːt ʔan deːm tɪʃ] | The cup is on the table. (location) |
auf (on, onto)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: auf + accusative indicates movement onto something.
- Dative: auf + dative indicates location or being on something.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ich stelle das Buch auf den Tisch. | [ɪç ˈʃtɛlə das buːχ ʔaʊ̯f deːn tɪʃ] | I put the book on the table. (movement) |
| Das Bild hängt an der Wand. | [das bɪlt hɛŋt ʔan deːɐ̯ vant] | The picture is hanging on the wall. (location) |
hinter (behind)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: hinter + accusative indicates movement behind something.
- Dative: hinter + dative indicates location or being behind something.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Er versteckt sich hinter den Büschen. | [ʔeːɐ̯ fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛkt zɪç ˈhɪntɐ deːn ˈbyʃən] | He is hiding behind the bushes. (movement) |
| Der Parkplatz ist hinter dem Gebäude. | [deːɐ̯ ˈpaʁkˌplats ʔɪst ˈhɪntɐ deːm ɡəˈbɔʏ̯də] | The parking lot is behind the building. (location) |
in (in, into)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: in + accusative indicates movement into something.
- Dative: in + dative indicates location or being in something.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Sie geht in den Supermarkt. | [ziː ɡeːt ɪn deːn ˈzuːpɐˌmaʁkt] | She goes into the supermarket. (movement) |
| Das Buch liegt in der Schublade. | [das buːχ liːkt ɪn deːɐ̯ ʃuːˈblaːdə] | The book is in the drawer. (location) |
neben (next to, beside)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: neben + accusative indicates movement next to something.
- Dative: neben + dative indicates location or being next to something.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Er steht neben den Bäumen. | [ʔeːɐ̯ ʃteːt ˈneːbn̩ deːn ˈbɔɪ̯mən] | He is standing next to the trees. (movement) |
| Der Stuhl steht neben dem Tisch. | [deːɐ̯ ʃtuːl ʃteːt ˈneːbn̩ deːm tɪʃ] | The chair is next to the table. (location) |
über (over, above)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: über + accusative indicates movement over something.
- Dative: über + dative indicates location or being over something.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Die Vögel fliegen über die Stadt. | [diː ˈføːɡl̩ ˈfliːɡən ˈyːbɐ diː ʃtat] | The birds are flying over the city. (movement) |
| Das Bild hängt über dem Sofa. | [das bɪlt hɛŋt ˈyːbɐ deːm ˈzoːfa] | The picture is hanging above the sofa. (location) |
unter (under, below)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: unter + accusative indicates movement under something.
- Dative: unter + dative indicates location or being under something.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Das Kind kriecht unter den Tisch. | [das kɪnt kʁiːçt ˈʊntɐ deːn tɪʃ] | The child is crawling under the table. (movement) |
| Die Katze schläft unter dem Bett. | [diː ˈkat͡sə ʃlɛft ˈʊntɐ deːm bɛt] | The cat is sleeping under the bed. (location) |
vor (in front of, before)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: vor + accusative indicates movement in front of something.
- Dative: vor + dative indicates location or being in front of something.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Er stellt sich vor den Spiegel. | [ʔeːɐ̯ ˈʃtɛlt zɪç ˈfoːɐ̯ deːn ˈʃpiːɡl̩] | He stands in front of the mirror. (movement) |
| Die Blumen stehen vor dem Haus. | [diː ˈbluːmən ˈʃteːn foːɐ̯ deːm haʊ̯s] | The flowers are in front of the house. (location) |
zwischen (between)[edit | edit source]
- Accusative: zwischen + accusative indicates movement between two things.
- Dative: zwischen + dative indicates location or being between two things.
Examples[edit | edit source]
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Er geht zwischen die Bäume. | [ʔeːɐ̯ ɡeːt ˈʦvɪʃn̩ diː ˈbɔɪ̯mən] | He walks between the trees. (movement) |
| Das Buch liegt zwischen den anderen Büchern. | [das buːχ liːkt ˈʦvɪʃn̩ deːn ˈandəʁn̩ ˈbyːʃərn] | The book is between the other books. (location) |
Practice Exercises[edit | edit source]
Now, let's practice using the two-way prepositions in context. Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct form of the two-way preposition and the appropriate case (accusative or dative):
1. Ich gehe ___________ Supermarkt, um Milch zu kaufen. (in, auf) 2. Das Bild hängt ___________ Wand. (an, über) 3. Die Katze springt ___________ Tisch. (in, auf) 4. Er sitzt ___________ Sofa. (vor, unter) 5. Die Schule ist ___________ dem Park. (hinter, neben)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations! You now have a solid understanding of two-way prepositions in German. Remember, the choice between the accusative and dative case depends on whether the preposition indicates movement or location. Practice using these prepositions in your everyday German conversations, and you will soon become comfortable using them naturally. Keep up the good work as you continue your journey to mastering the German language!
Sources[edit | edit source]
- German Two-Way Prepositions: Your Essential Guide
- Accusative or Dative - How German Two Way Prepositions Work
- How to Use Dual Prepositions in German
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Using Time Expressions
- Subject and Verb
- Prepositions
- Present Tense
- Possessive Case in German
- 0 to A1 Course
- Declension
- Simple negative sentences
- Comparative and Superlative Forms
- Noun and Gender
| ◀️ Using Prepositions — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Food and Meals ▶️ |