German Prepositions & the Cases They Take
Accusative, dative, two-way (Wechselpräpositionen) and genitive prepositions — which case each one triggers, with practice.
Every German preposition forces the noun after it into a particular case, and that's the key to using them correctly. Some always take the accusative, some always the dative, a small genitive group exists, and the 'two-way' prepositions switch between accusative and dative depending on whether there's movement or location. The guides below sort them into those groups with examples.
German Dative Prepositions: aus, bei, mit, nach, von, zu
Learn the German dative prepositions (aus, bei, mit, nach, von, zu, seit) — meanings, articles, contractions, and the plural -n rule, with examples.
German Accusative Prepositions: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um
German accusative prepositions explained: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis. Full list, article forms, examples, common mistakes, and practice — A2 reference.
German Two-Way Prepositions: wohin (akk) vs wo (dat)
German two-way prepositions take accusative for direction (wohin?) and dative for location (wo?). All nine Wechselpräpositionen with examples and practice.
German Genitive Prepositions: Trotz, Wegen, Während, Statt
German genitive prepositions explained: trotz, wegen, während, statt with the full list, articles, adjective endings, and the wegen-dative trap. B1 reference.
Frequently asked questions
Which German prepositions take the accusative?
The core accusative prepositions are durch, für, gegen, ohne, um (plus bis and entlang). The noun after any of them is always in the accusative case, regardless of meaning.
Which prepositions take the dative?
The main dative prepositions are aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu (plus gegenüber). Anything that follows them goes into the dative — for example mit dem Auto, nach der Arbeit. They're worth memorising as a fixed list.
What are two-way (Wechsel) prepositions?
The nine two-way prepositions — an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen — take the accusative when there's movement toward a destination (Ich gehe in die Schule) and the dative when they describe a fixed location (Ich bin in der Schule). Ask 'where to?' (accusative) vs 'where at?' (dative).
How do contractions like 'im', 'zum' and 'ans' work?
German often merges a preposition with the article: in dem → im, zu dem → zum, an das → ans, bei dem → beim. They're standard and usually preferred in speech; the case is still the one the preposition governs.