German Genitive Prepositions: Trotz, Wegen, Während, Statt

German genitive prepositions are a small group of prepositions — led by trotz, wegen, während, and (an)statt — that force the noun phrase that follows them into the genitive case. They are the main reason B1 learners need to keep the genitive forms active even though everyday speech leans on the dative.

This page lists every genitive preposition you will meet through B1, shows the article and noun endings each one triggers, and flags the three mistakes that get learners marked down: using the dative after wegen in writing, mixing registers with trotz, and forgetting the weak adjective ending in genitive noun phrases.

You can put all of that into practice right here. The interactive drills further down are free and need no sign-up, and they check the full genitive phrase — article, noun ending, and adjective ending — the instant you answer.

German genitive prepositions at a glance

The full B1 reference set, with meaning and a typical example:

The first four are the high-frequency core; the rest belong mostly to written and formal registers (news, contracts, academic prose). For a refresher on how the genitive case itself is built, see German genitive case.

What are German genitive prepositions?

A genitive preposition is a preposition whose object must be in the genitive case rather than the accusative or dative. Practically, that means three things have to change in the noun phrase that follows:

1. The article becomes des (masculine, neuter) or der (feminine, plural). The indefinite versions are eines and einer.
2. Masculine and neuter nouns add -(e)s to the bare noun: des Regens, des Kindes.
3. Any adjective in front of the noun takes the weak ending -en, regardless of gender or number: trotz des kalten Windes, wegen der hohen Preise.

The genitive object can sit at the start of the sentence or in the middle — German word order is flexible here. Both of these are correct:

Trotz des Regens gehen wir spazieren. Wir gehen trotz des Regens spazieren.

How does the genitive form work after these prepositions?

The article and noun-ending table that does most of the work on this page:

When -es and when -s:

• Monosyllabic masculine/neuter nouns usually take -es: des Tages, des Mannes, des Kindes.
• Polysyllabic masculine/neuter nouns usually take -s: des Regens, des Unterrichts, des Konzerts.
• Nouns ending in -s, -ß, -x, -z, -tz always take -es to stay pronounceable: des Hauses, des Flusses, des Platzes.

A small but important group of masculine nouns follows the n-Deklination pattern instead and adds -en/-n in every case except the nominative singular: trotz des Studenten (not des Studentens), wegen des Jungen, statt des Herrn. If you are unsure whether a masculine noun is "weak", check the n-Deklination list first.

trotz — despite

Trotz marks a contrast: something happens even though the circumstances make it unexpected.

Masculine

Trotz des Regens gehen wir spazieren. — Despite the rain, we go for a walk. Trotz des Staus sind wir pünktlich angekommen. — Despite the traffic jam, we arrived on time.

Feminine

Trotz der Kälte spielen die Kinder draußen. — Despite the cold, the children play outside. Trotz der Warnung ist er ins Wasser gesprungen. — Despite the warning, he jumped into the water.

Neuter

Trotz des schlechten Wetters war das Fest ein Erfolg. — Despite the bad weather, the festival was a success. Trotz des Verbots hat er geraucht. — Despite the ban, he smoked.

Plural

Trotz der vielen Probleme hat sie es geschafft. — Despite the many problems, she managed it. Trotz der hohen Preise kaufen die Leute dort ein. — Despite the high prices, people shop there.

während — during

As a preposition, während locates an event inside a stretch of time. (The same word also works as a conjunction meaning "while" — Ich lese, während er kocht — but then the case rules don't apply.)

Masculine

Während des Unterrichts darf man nicht telefonieren. — During class, you may not use your phone. Während des Fluges habe ich geschlafen. — During the flight, I slept.

Feminine

Während der Pause trinken wir Kaffee. — During the break, we drink coffee. Während der Ferien fahren wir ans Meer. — During the vacation, we go to the sea.

Neuter

Während des Konzerts war es ganz still im Saal. — During the concert, it was completely quiet in the hall. Während des Gewitters sind wir im Haus geblieben. — During the thunderstorm, we stayed inside.

Plural

Während der Sommerferien arbeite ich als Kellner. — During summer vacation, I work as a waiter. Während der letzten Jahre hat sich viel verändert. — During the last years, a lot has changed.

wegen — because of

Wegen introduces a reason or cause.

Masculine

Wegen des Staus kommen wir zu spät. — Because of the traffic jam, we are late. Wegen des Unfalls war die Straße gesperrt. — Because of the accident, the road was closed.

Feminine

Wegen der Hitze bleiben viele zu Hause. — Because of the heat, many people stay home. Wegen der Prüfung muss ich lernen. — Because of the exam, I have to study.

Neuter

Wegen des schlechten Wetters fällt das Spiel aus. — Because of the bad weather, the game is cancelled. Wegen des Feiertags ist das Geschäft geschlossen. — Because of the holiday, the shop is closed.

Plural

Wegen der Bauarbeiten gibt es eine Umleitung. — Because of the construction work, there is a detour.

Wegen + genitive vs. wegen + dative

In everyday speech you will constantly hear wegen with the dative:

Wegen dem Stau... (colloquial) instead of Wegen des Staus... (standard)

Native speakers do this all the time, and the Duden labels it acceptable spoken usage. But in formal writing, on Goethe/telc/ÖSD exams, and in any exam-style cloze, you must use the genitive. When in doubt, write wegen des / der.

statt / anstatt — instead of

Statt (or its longer, slightly more formal form anstatt) marks a replacement: one thing is chosen in place of another.

Masculine

Statt des Autos nehmen wir den Zug. — Instead of the car, we take the train. Anstatt des Kaffees trinkt sie Tee. — Instead of coffee, she drinks tea.

Feminine

Statt der Prüfung schreiben wir eine Hausarbeit. — Instead of the exam, we write a paper. Anstatt der Suppe bestelle ich einen Salat. — Instead of the soup, I order a salad.

Neuter

Statt des Geldes hat er mir ein Geschenk gegeben. — Instead of money, he gave me a gift.

Plural

Statt der Blumen bringen wir Schokolade mit. — Instead of flowers, we bring chocolate.

Don't confuse the preposition with the conjunction anstatt … zu + infinitive: Anstatt zu lernen, schaut er Filme. That construction has no case marking at all.

Beyond the big four: formal-register genitive prepositions

These prepositions are less frequent but standard in written, journalistic, legal, and academic German. All of them behave like trotz/wegen — genitive object, weak adjective endings, masculine/neuter noun in -(e)s.

A few of these (laut, mittels, dank) are also seen with the dative in some contexts. The genitive is the safer choice in writing.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

These are the three errors that show up over and over in B1 writing. Each one has a bad → good fix.

The shortcut: every genitive preposition pushes you to do three things at once — change the article, add -(e)s to a masculine/neuter noun (or -en for n-Deklination words), and force every adjective to -en. Miss one and the phrase reads as broken.

Genitive prepositions and the rest of the grammar

Once you can build a genitive object after a preposition, the same article and adjective patterns power the rest of the case:

• The full system of articles, noun endings, and possessive forms lives in German genitive case.
• For possessive genitives — das Auto meines Bruders — see possessives in the genitive.
• For closed-set prepositions in the other cases, see dative prepositions and accusative prepositions.

In short: the cases that follow trotz/wegen/während/statt are the same forms that mark possession and that follow verbs like bedürfen and gedenken. Drill the prepositions and the rest of the genitive comes along for the ride.