German Prepositions Explained

Prepositions in German are tiny words with big opinions. They tell you where something is, when something happens, how something moves, and which case the next noun has to wear like a slightly fussy hat. If that sounds dramatic, welcome to German.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

The good news: once you learn the main patterns, German prepositions become much more predictable than they first look. And yes, they do love to cause confusion at exactly the moment you feel confident.

By the end of this guide, you will know the most useful German prepositions for place, time, movement, and everyday speech, plus the common traps English speakers walk into with zero shame and maximum speed.

For a broader grammar map, it helps to know how cases work first. If cases still feel slippery, this companion guide may save your sanity: German Cases Explained.

Table of Contents

The Big Idea: Prepositions Decide The Case

German prepositions often tell you whether the next noun should be in the accusative, dative, or genitive. In plain English: the little word before the noun can change the article and sometimes the adjective ending too. German likes teamwork. Slightly bossy teamwork, but still.

Pattern	Meaning	German Example	English Translation	Learner Note
mit + dative	with	Ich fahre mit dem Bus.	I’m going by bus.	mit always takes dative.
für + accusative	for	Das ist für einen Freund.	That is for a friend.	für always takes accusative.
bei + dative	at, by, with	Ich wohne bei meinen Eltern.	I live with my parents.	Very common in everyday German.
ohne + accusative	without	Er geht ohne seinen Mantel raus.	He goes out without his coat.	Simple, useful, and emotionally rude in winter.
zu + dative	to, at	Ich gehe zur Arbeit.	I’m going to work.	zu often contracts with der to zur.
von + dative	from, of	Ich komme von der Schule.	I’m coming from school.	Also used for possession in some structures.

One tiny but very important detail: prepositions do not just sit there looking decorative. They control grammar. German does not really do “near enough.” It does “correct case or chaos.”

Most Common German Prepositions By Use

Here are the everyday prepositions you will meet constantly in messages, directions, plans, travel, and small talk. Start here before worrying about rare academic monsters.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
in	een	in, into	Ich bin in der Küche.	I am in the kitchen.	in can mean location or movement. Case changes the meaning.
auf	owf	on, onto, at	Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.	The book is on the table.	Very common with places and surfaces.
an	ahn	at, on, next to	Wir warten an der Haltestelle.	We are waiting at the bus stop.	Often for borders, edges, or public transport stops.
unter	OON-ter	under	Die Katze schläft unter dem Bett.	The cat is sleeping under the bed.	Can also mean “among” in some contexts.
über	OO-ber	over, above, about	Das Bild hängt über dem Sofa.	The picture hangs above the sofa.	Also means “about” in many grammar topics and conversations.
neben	NAY-ben	next to	Ich sitze neben meinem Bruder.	I’m sitting next to my brother.	Usually straightforward, which is suspiciously nice.
zwischen	TSVISH-en	between	Das Café ist zwischen der Bank und der Apotheke.	The café is between the bank and the pharmacy.	Great for directions.
vor	fohr	in front of, before	Ich warte vor dem Haus.	I’m waiting in front of the house.	Can mean place or time.
hinter	HIN-ter	behind	Der Wagen steht hinter dem Haus.	The car is behind the house.	Useful with location and movement.
nach	nahkh	to, after	Wir fahren nach Berlin.	We’re driving to Berlin.	Used for cities, countries without articles, and “after” in time.
vor	fohr	before, ago	Vor zwei Tagen habe ich angerufen.	I called two days ago.	Time use is very common.
seit	zyt	since, for	Ich lerne Deutsch seit einem Jahr.	I have been learning German for a year.	Usually with present tense in German.
bis	biss	until, up to	Der Zug fährt bis München.	The train goes as far as Munich.	Very useful in travel and schedules.
mit	mitt	with, by	Ich komme mit dem Zug.	I’m coming by train.	Also used for accompaniment.
ohne	OH-nuh	without	Ich trinke Kaffee ohne Zucker.	I drink coffee without sugar.	Always accusative.

Some prepositions are especially common in place, time, and direction. Those are the ones that show up everywhere, from train stations to kitchen plans to “Where is the bathroom?” emergencies.

Location Versus Movement

This is where many learners get ambushed by German prepositions. The difference is simple in theory: one form for where something is, another for where it is going. English often skips the case change, but German absolutely does not.

Preposition	Location Question	Movement Question	German Example	English Translation	Learner Note
in	Wo?	Wohin?	Ich bin im Haus. / Ich gehe ins Haus.	I am in the house. / I’m going into the house.	im = in dem, ins = in das.
auf	Wo?	Wohin?	Das Glas steht auf dem Tisch. / Ich stelle es auf den Tisch.	The glass is on the table. / I put it on the table.	Dative for location, accusative for movement.
an	Wo?	Wohin?	Wir sind an der Haltestelle. / Wir gehen an die Haltestelle.	We are at the stop. / We go to the stop.	Common with stops, edges, water, walls.
unter	Wo?	Wohin?	Die Schuhe sind unter dem Bett. / Ich schiebe sie unter das Bett.	The shoes are under the bed. / I push them under the bed.	Works the same pattern.
über	Wo?	Wohin?	Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch. / Ich hänge die Lampe über den Tisch.	The lamp hangs above the table. / I hang the lamp above the table.	Location = dative, movement = accusative.

German grammar nerds call these two-way prepositions. That sounds like a secret club, but it just means the preposition can take either accusative or dative depending on whether there is movement or not. There is a separate guide for that if you want the full breakdown: German Two-Way Prepositions.

Rule of thumb: if something changes position, use accusative. If it stays in place, use dative. German is surprisingly consistent here, which is refreshing in the same way a train arriving on time feels suspicious.

Useful Prepositions For Time

Time expressions are some of the most useful prepositions for everyday German. They help you talk about schedules, appointments, deadlines, birthdays, and the noble art of being late with dignity.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
um	oom	at (a time)	Der Kurs beginnt um acht Uhr.	The class starts at eight o’clock.	Use for exact times.
am	ahm	on (a day/date)	Wir sehen uns am Montag.	We’ll see each other on Monday.	am = an dem.
im	im	in (month/season)	Ich fahre im Juli nach Hamburg.	I’m going to Hamburg in July.	im = in dem.
seit	zyt	since, for	Ich wohne hier seit 2022.	I have lived here since 2022.	Often used with present tense for an action that started in the past and continues now.
vor	fohr	ago	Vor drei Wochen bin ich umgezogen.	I moved three weeks ago.	Very common with past time.
nach	nahkh	after	Nach dem Essen machen wir einen Spaziergang.	After dinner, we take a walk.	Needs dative when used with a noun.
bis	biss	until	Ich arbeite bis Freitag.	I work until Friday.	Useful for deadlines and business schedules.
während	VAH-rent	during	Während der Pause habe ich telefoniert.	During the break, I made a phone call.	Often genitive in formal written German, but dative is also heard in speech.

If you want to sound natural, pay special attention to am, im, and um. They look tiny, but they do the heavy lifting in calendars, appointments, and everyday conversation.

Prepositions With Places And Directions

These are the ones you need for travel, cities, buildings, and “Excuse me, where is…?” moments. Some are straightforward. Some are tiny grammar gremlins in a neat coat.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
nach	nahkh	to (cities/countries), after	Ich fliege nach Wien.	I’m flying to Vienna.	Used with cities and countries without article: nach Deutschland, nach Berlin.
zu	tsoo	to, toward, at	Ich gehe zum Arzt.	I’m going to the doctor.	zu often means “to a person, place, or event.”
in	een	into, in	Wir gehen ins Kino.	We’re going to the cinema.	Use with buildings and enclosed spaces when entering them.
aus	ows	from, out of	Ich komme aus der Schweiz.	I come from Switzerland.	Country names with articles need aus + dative.
bei	bye	at, by, with	Ich bin bei meiner Freundin.	I’m at my friend’s place.	Very common for “at someone’s place” or “with someone.”
gegenüber	guhg-en-OO-ber	opposite, across from	Die Apotheke ist gegenüber dem Bahnhof.	The pharmacy is opposite the station.	Often follows the noun it refers to.
entlang	ent-LANG	along	Wir gehen die Straße entlang.	We walk along the street.	Can appear after the noun, which feels a little rebellious.
durch	doorkh	through	Wir gehen durch den Park.	We walk through the park.	Always accusative.

Small but important note: nach Berlin is correct, but nach die Stadt is not. With most city names, nach is the go-to. With specific places, people, or events, zu is often better. German loves context more than English does.

Prepositions That Often Need Dative

Some prepositions always take dative. That means the article often changes from der to dem, die to der, or das to dem. Yes, German nouns enjoy being dressed by tiny grammar stylists.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
mit	mitt	with, by	Ich komme mit dem Zug.	I’m coming by train.	Always dative.
nach	nahkh	to, after	Nach dem Essen gehe ich schlafen.	After dinner, I go to sleep.	Time and travel both common.
bei	bye	at, near, with	Wir treffen uns bei meiner Schwester.	We’re meeting at my sister’s place.	Very useful for social plans.
seit	zyt	since, for	Ich arbeite seit einem Jahr hier.	I’ve worked here for a year.	Often paired with present tense.
von	fonn	from, of	Das ist von meinem Bruder.	That’s from my brother.	Also used in “from… to…” structures.
zu	tsoo	to, at	Ich gehe zur Arbeit.	I’m going to work.	zur = zu der.
aus	ows	from, out of	Er kommt aus dem Büro.	He’s coming from the office.	Also dative.
gegenüber	guhg-en-OO-ber	opposite	Sie wohnt gegenüber dem Park.	She lives opposite the park.	Usually stays with dative.

Prepositions That Often Need Accusative

These prepositions are more direct. They tend to point toward a goal, reason, or destination. In a charmingly bossy way, they expect accusative after them.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
für	fyur	for	Das Geschenk ist für meinen Vater.	The gift is for my father.	Very common in everyday speech.