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German A1 Level Prepositions: AKK, DAT & Their Usage Explained

Hello there! Welcome back to SpeakDeutsch.com. I'm Helena, your German language tutor. Today we're going to unravel the complexities of prepositions in the German language, specifically focusing on A1 level prepositions in Akkusativ (Accusative) and Dativ (Dative). I know, the very words might sound intimidating, but don't worry, we'll tackle them together!

Accusative Prepositions

Firstly, let's focus on the Akkusativ prepositions, which are typically used with the accusative case.

  1. Bis - Translates to 'until'. For example, "Morgen schlafe ich bis 10 Uhr," which means "Tomorrow I will sleep until 10 o'clock."

  2. Für - Means 'for'. For instance, "Das war nicht einfach für ihn." This translates to "It wasn't easy for him."

  3. Gegen - Translates to 'against'. For instance, "Lisa ist gegen den Vorschlag," meaning "Lisa is against the proposal."

  4. Ohne - This means 'without'. For example, "Kommst du ohne deinen Mann?" This translates to "Are you coming without your husband?"

  5. Um - This means 'at'. We use this primarily as a time preposition. For example, "Der Bus fährt um 16 Uhr ab," translates to "The bus leaves at 16 o'clock."

Dative Prepositions

Next, let's look at some prepositions that typically use the Dative case:

  1. Ab - This translates to 'from'. For instance, "Max lernt ab 14 Uhr Deutsch," meaning "Max learns German from 2 p.m."

  2. Aus - Means 'from'. For instance, "Ich komme aus der Schweiz," which means "I come from Switzerland."

  3. Bei - This means 'at'. For example, "Jim arbeitet bei der Polizei," translating to "Jim works at the police."

  4. Mit - This means 'with'. For example, "Sie lernt mit ihrem Bruder Deutsch," which means "She is learning German with her brother."

  5. Nach - Means 'after' or 'to'. For example, "Nach der Arbeit macht sie Sport," which translates to "She does sports after work."

Two-way Prepositions

Finally, let's discuss Wechselpräpositionen or two-way prepositions. These are prepositions that can take either the accusative or the dative case, depending on whether they are used to describe movement or position.

  1. An - This translates to 'at' or 'on'. For instance, "Das Bild ist an der Wand," which means "The picture is on the wall."

  2. Auf - This means 'on top' or 'on'. For example, "Das Buch ist auf dem Tisch," which means "The book is on the table."

  3. Hinter - Means 'behind'. For example, "Max ist hinter der Tür," which translates to "Max is behind the door."

  4. In - This means 'in'. For instance, "Das Wasser ist im Glas," which translates to "The water is in the glass."

  5. Neben - This means 'next to'. For instance, "Der Stift ist neben dem Buch," which means "The pen is next to the book."

Quick Tips

Remember, certain verbs are often paired with specific prepositions in German. For instance, "Angst haben vor" (to be afraid of) always uses the preposition "vor," which requires the Dative case. So, learning the pairs of verbs and prepositions will make your German sound more fluent and natural.

I hope this tutorial has been helpful for you! If you have any questions or need more examples, do not hesitate to ask. Next time, we will continue our journey with more complex prepositions. Until then, viel Spaß beim Deutschlernen (have fun learning German)!


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See you in the following lesson. Bye! Bye!



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