A1 · Prepositions
Prepositions with the dative
aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu
The seven that carry most of everyday German — and the contractions that come with them.
Seven prepositions always take the dative: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, to which gegenüber is usually added. Between them they cover origin, place, means, time and direction, which is why they turn up in almost every sentence a beginner says.
Most of them contract with the article, and the contracted form is the normal one: zu dem becomes zum, zu der becomes zur, von dem becomes vom, bei dem becomes beim. Saying the full form is not wrong but sounds like singling one out: zu dem Arzt implies that particular doctor.
Three of them are worth separating carefully because English uses "to" for all of them. Nach goes with towns and countries, zu with people, shops and buildings, and in with the accusative goes into an enclosed space. Nach Berlin, zum Arzt, in die Stadt.
Die Form
| aus — from, out of | aus der Schweiz |
| bei — at, with | bei meinen Eltern |
| mit — with, by | mit dem Zug |
| nach — to, after | nach Hamburg |
| contractions | zum, zur, vom, beim, aus dem |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von and zu always take the dative.
Ich fahre mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit.I cycle to work.
nach goes with towns and countries without an article; zu goes with people and places.
Wir fahren nach Italien und dann zu meiner Schwester.We are going to Italy and then to my sister's.
seit plus the present tense says how long something has been going on.
Ich wohne seit drei Jahren hier.I have been living here for three years.
In the dative plural the noun itself adds -n.
Er spielt mit den Kindern.He is playing with the children.
Genauer hingesehen
nach, zu, in — three "to"s and why German keeps them apart
The three prepositions describe three different relations that English has collapsed into one word. Nach is a heading — a direction on a map, which is why it works with countries and towns and with rechts and oben. Zu is an approach to something that is a destination rather than a place: a person, a shop, an appointment. In with the accusative is entering an enclosed space.
The distinction survives in English fossils. "Homewards" and "eastwards" are nach; "going to the doctor's" keeps the possessive that zu implies. Once you hear them as three relations rather than three translations of one word, the choice stops being arbitrary.
Ausnahmen und Sonderfälle (2)
-
the destination is home
it is nach Hause for going and zu Hause for being there.
Ich gehe nach Hause und bleibe zu Hause.I am going home and staying at home.
Both are fossils carrying old case endings, and neither follows the ordinary rule.
-
the country takes an article — die Schweiz, die Türkei, die USA, der Iran
in with the accusative replaces nach.
Wir fahren in die Schweiz.We are going to Switzerland.
Nach only works with a bare name, so a country with an article needs the other construction.
Woran man es erkennt
- aus
- bei
- mit
- nach
- seit
- von
- zu
- zum
- zur
- vom
- beim
Beispielsätze
Sie kommt aus der Türkei.She is from Turkey.
Ich war beim Zahnarzt.I was at the dentist.
Nach dem Essen gehen wir spazieren.After the meal we go for a walk.
Das habe ich von einem Kollegen gehört.I heard that from a colleague.
Seit gestern funktioniert das Internet nicht.The internet has not worked since yesterday.
Noch 8 Beispielsätze
Er wohnt noch bei seinen Eltern.He still lives with his parents.
Fahren Sie mit dem Bus oder mit der Bahn?Are you going by bus or by train?
Nach der Arbeit bin ich immer müde.I am always tired after work.
Der Schlüssel ist vom Nachbarn.The key is the neighbour's.
Sie arbeitet seit einem Monat hier.She has been working here for a month.
Nimm bitte das Buch aus dem Regal.Please take the book off the shelf.
Ich muss noch zur Post.I still have to go to the post office.
Gegenüber dem Bahnhof ist ein Café.There is a café opposite the station.
Besonderheiten (2)
-
seit takes the present tense
German says <z>ich wohne seit drei Jahren hier</z> — present tense — where English says "I have been living here for three years". The situation is still true, and German marks present truth with the present tense. Using a past tense here is one of the commonest English-speaker errors and it changes the meaning: <z>ich wohnte seit drei Jahren</z> says you no longer do.
Wir kennen uns seit der Schulzeit.We have known each other since school.
-
bei is not "by"
Despite the spelling, <z>bei</z> means "at somebody's place", "near" or "at the premises of": <z>bei Müller</z>, <z>beim Arzt</z>, <z>bei der Arbeit</z>. English "by" as a means is German <z>mit</z>. It is one of the most reliable false friends between the two languages because the words look identical.
Sie arbeitet bei einer Bank.She works at a bank.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
English "to" covers all of nach, zu and in, so the choice has to be made consciously until it is not. The short version: nach for places on a map with no article, zu for people and institutions, in plus accusative for going inside something. Nach Hause is the fixed exception, and it is the one you will need most.
aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu — always dative.
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