Ich warte auf den Bus.
English: I am waiting for the bus.
- Language
- German
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Verbformen und Gebrauch
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In German, some verbs are always used together with specific prepositions. These are called 'verbs with prepositions'. The preposition is important and changes the meaning of the verb.
When to use it
Use this structure when a German verb always needs a certain preposition to make sense. The preposition often changes the meaning, and the following noun or pronoun will be in a specific case (Akkusativ or Dativ).
Key forms
- Verben + Präposition + Objekt
- denken an + Akkusativ
- warten auf + Akkusativ
- sprechen mit + Dativ
Examples
Sie denkt an ihre Freunde.
English: She thinks of her friends.
Wir sprechen mit dem Lehrer.
English: We are talking with the teacher.
Er interessiert sich für Musik.
English: He is interested in music.
Tips
- Always learn the verb together with its preposition.
- Pay attention to the case (Akkusativ or Dativ) after the preposition.
- Do not translate prepositions directly from English; they may be different in German.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs can take different prepositions with different meanings (e.g., sprechen über vs. sprechen mit).