In German, prepositions of place are important language building blocks used to express the location, direction or spatial relationship of an object or person. These prepositions, which have a wide range of uses from everyday conversations to written expressions, clarify the meaning of the sentence and make communication more understandable when used correctly.

Understanding prepositions of place while learning German is of great importance in order to create more accurate sentence structure and to prevent confusion while expressing yourself. In addition to basic prepositions such as "an", "auf", "in", other prepositions of place used in certain situations also contribute to your more fluent use of the language.

In this article, we will explore the most commonly used prepositions of place in German, how they are used in which contexts, and the functions of these prepositions within the language with different sample sentences. Are you ready to embark on a journey together in the world of German prepositions of place?

List of Prepositions of Place in German

in — within

auf — on top of (in contact with)

an — at a certain point, on the edge of

unter — under

über — on top of (without contact)

unterhalb — under (without contact)

über — on (covering or moving)

zwischen — between two things

unter — in a group, between

neben — next to

bei — next to

in der Nähe von — near

vor — in front of

hinter — behind

drinnen — in

draußen — outside

auf — towards (movement)

von — to leave from

aus — to go outside

How are Prepositions of Place used in German?

In German, prepositions of place are used to express the location and direction of objects or people. These prepositions play an important role in understanding the meaning of the sentence correctly. In German, prepositions of place are usually used with dative (state of mind) or accusative (direction of mind).

Dative or Accusative?

In German, to determine whether a preposition of place takes the dative or accusative, first of all, it is checked whether the verb in the sentence expresses a motionless or a moving situation.

● If the sentence is in a motionless situation, that is, if it states where something is located, the dative is used.

● If the sentence is in a moving situation, that is, if it describes the movement of an object from one place to another, the accusative is used.

Example:

Using the Dative – Non-Moving Cases

When the dative is used, the location of the object or person is specified. In other words, there is no direction or movement.

● Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book is on the table.)

● Der Stuhl steht neben dem Bett. (The chair is sitting next to the bed.)

● The lamp is hanging above the sofa. (The lamp is hanging above the sofa.)

● Ich bin in der Küche. (I am in the kitchen.)

In these examples, the nouns following the prepositions are in the dative case.

Using the Accusative – Cases of Motion

When the accusative is used, the place where an object is moving or directed is expressed.

● Ich stelle das Buch auf den Tisch. (I am putting the book on the table.)

● Er setzt sich neben das Bett. (He is sitting next to the bed.)

● Die Katze springt über das Sofa. (The cat is jumping over the sofa.)

● We are going to the kitchen.)

In these examples, since there is motion, the nouns following the prepositions are in the accusative case.

Commonly Used Prepositions of Place in German and Examples of Usage

● an – Used on the edge of, next to, or at a specific point.

○ Dative: Das Bild hängt an der Wand. (The picture is hanging on the wall.)

○ Akkusativ: Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. (I am hanging the picture on the wall.)

● auf – Used on (in contact with) something.

○ Dative: Die Tasse steht auf dem Tisch. (The cup is on the table.)

○ Akkusativ: Ich stelle die Tasse auf den Tisch. (I am putting the cup on the table.)

● in – Used in or towards.

○ Dative: Die Kinder sind im Garten. (The children are in the garden.)

○ Akkusativ: Die Kinder gehen in den Garten. (The children are going to the garden.)

● über – Used on something but not touching it. Also used to express covering or movement.

○ Dative: The lamp is hanging over the table. (The lamp is hanging over the table.)

○ Akkusativ: The plane is flying over the house. (The plane is flying over the house.)

● unter – Used under or towards the bottom.

○ Dative: The dog is sleeping under the table. (The dog is sleeping under the table.)

○ Akkusativ: The bag is placed under the table. (The bag is placed under the table.)

● zwischen – Used between two objects.

○ Dative: The sofa is always hanging over the table and the floor. (The chair is standing between the table and the chair.)

○ Accusative: Ich stelle den Stohl zwischen die beiden Tische. (I am putting the chair between the two tables.)

● vor – Used in front of or towards the front.

○ Dativ: Das Auto steht vor dem Haus. (The car is standing in front of the house.)

○ Accusative: Ich fahre das Auto vor das Haus. (I am pulling the car in front of the house.)

● hinter – Behind and