Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
English: The book is on the table.
- Language
- German
- Level
- A1
- Unit
- Zeit und Ort
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In German, local prepositions are words that show where something or someone is. They answer questions like 'Where?' or 'To where?'.
When to use it
You use local prepositions in German to say where something is (location) or where something is going (direction). For example, to say 'in the house', 'on the table', or 'under the bed'.
Key forms
- an (am, ans)
- auf
- in (im, ins)
- unter
- über
- vor
- hinter
- neben
- zwischen
Examples
Ich gehe in die Schule.
English: I am going into the school.
Der Hund schläft unter dem Stuhl.
English: The dog sleeps under the chair.
Wir stehen vor dem Kino.
English: We are standing in front of the cinema.
Das Auto parkt zwischen den Häusern.
English: The car is parked between the houses.
Tips
- Some prepositions use different cases: 'in', 'an', 'auf', 'unter', 'über', 'vor', 'hinter', 'neben', 'zwischen' use accusative for movement and dative for location.
- Pay attention to the article after the preposition. It changes with the case.
- Don't forget to use the correct form (im, am, ins, ans) when combining prepositions with articles.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some places always use certain prepositions, even if the meaning seems different (e.g., 'auf dem Land' for 'in the country').