præposition

Präposition is a word that links other words and expresses relationships such as place, time, manner, or cause. In German grammar, it typically governs a noun or pronoun with a specific case (Kasus) and forms a prepositional phrase that adds detail to the sentence.

Core ideas

• What it is: A part of speech that denotes a relationship between elements in a sentence. Common examples: in, auf, mit, von, zu, vor, nach, während, wegen. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• What it does: Indicates location, direction, time, cause, means, or accompaniment. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• How it behaves: Almost always requires a noun or pronoun (the relevant Bezugswort) and can trigger a case change (Dativ or Akkusativ in German). Wechselpräpositionen change case based on movement (Akkusativ) vs. position (Dativ). [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• How to recognize: Look for a word that sits before a noun/pronoun and answers questions like Wo? Wohin? Wann? Warum?; it also influences the case of the following noun phrase. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))

Types (common classifications)

• Lokale Präpositionen (location/direction): in, auf, unter, über, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen, vor, hinter. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• Temporale Präpositionen (time): vor, nach, während, seit, ab, bis. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• Modale Präpositionen (manner/means): mit, ohne, durch, über, per, dank. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• Kausale Präpositionen (cause/reason): wegen, aufgrund, trotz, dank (in some uses). [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• Wechselpräpositionen: sometimes require Akkusativ (movement) and sometimes Dativ (static position), e.g., in, an, auf, hinter, vor, neben, über, unter, between cases depending on movement vs. location. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))

Quick tips for learners

• Always check the case of the noun after a preposition in German; many prepositions govern Dativ, some Akkusativ, and a few are Wechselpräpositionen. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• Practice with short phrases: “in dem Haus” (in + Dativ) vs. “in das Haus” (into + Akkusativ). [Präposition](javascript:void(0))
• When two words fuse (preposition + article), you’ll often see contractions like "im" (in dem), "vom" (von dem), "zum" (zu dem). [Präposition](javascript:void(0))

If you’d like, I can tailor a short practice set (fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice) to reinforce local, temporal, and Wechselpräposition patterns. [Präposition](javascript:void(0))