German preposition practice
Practice German prepositions in context. Compare location and destination, learn fixed cases and review explanations for every answer.
Compare paired examples for a two-way preposition.
Practice fixed cases, two-way uses or verb expressions.
Review why the preposition needs that case.
Location or destination?
Destination · accusative: Ich gehe in den Park.
Location · dative: Ich laufe im Park im Kreis.
Entering the park changes the spatial relationship; running inside it does not.
Ich lege das Buch auf ___ Tisch.
Preposition reference
Accusative
durch · für · gegen · ohne · um
These prepositions take accusative in their ordinary uses.
für den Freund
Dative
aus · bei · mit · nach · seit · von · zu · gegenüber
These prepositions take dative, even when the sentence describes movement.
mit dem Freund
Two-way (spatial)
an · auf · hinter · in · neben · über · unter · vor · zwischen
Destination or change into a spatial relationship: accusative. Location within an existing relationship: dative.
in den Park → im Park
Genitive (formal standard)
wegen · trotz · während · statt
Standard written German commonly uses genitive. Colloquial usage may differ.
wegen des Regens
Make sense of what you’re practicing
The nine two-way prepositions
An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen can take accusative or dative in spatial uses. Accusative marks a destination or a newly established spatial relationship. Dative describes a location. Ask where to versus where, while paying attention to the actual meaning.
Movement is not enough to choose accusative
Ich gehe in den Park describes entry into the park. Ich laufe im Park describes running inside it. Both involve movement, but only the first changes the relationship to the park. This distinction is more reliable than a simple moving/still shortcut.
Prepositions with a fixed case
Durch, für, gegen, ohne and um take accusative in ordinary uses. Aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu and gegenüber take dative. Learn a short noun phrase with each preposition: für den Freund, mit dem Freund. Contractions include im = in dem, ins = in das, zum = zu dem and zur = zu der.
Fixed verb-preposition combinations
Some phrases must be learned as a unit: warten auf + accusative, denken an + accusative, sprechen mit + dative. Their case is not determined by physical motion. The verb-expression practice separates these from the spatial two-way exercises.