24.4. Prepositions in German: Prepositions of Motion

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German, like many other languages, uses prepositions to indicate relationships between words, phrases, and parts of sentences. Motion prepositions, in particular, are used to express movement or direction. They are an essential part of German grammar and need to be learned for effective communication. In this chapter, we'll explore German prepositions of motion.

The prepositions of movement in German are: 'zu', 'nach', 'in', 'auf', 'über', 'unter', 'neben', 'vor', 'hinter', 'an' , 'zwischen', 'durch', 'um', 'entlang', 'gegen', 'für', 'ohne', 'bis', 'aus', 'bei'. Each of these prepositions has a specific use and can change the meaning of a sentence if used incorrectly.

The preposition 'zu' is used to indicate direction or destination. It is often used when talking about going to a specific place. For example, 'Ich gehe zu meiner Freundin' means 'I'm going to my girlfriend'.

'Nach' is used to indicate general direction and is often used when talking about going to countries, cities, cardinal directions, and home. For example, 'Ich fahre nach Berlin' means 'I'm going to Berlin'.

'In' is used to indicate movement into something and is used with the accusative when there is movement. For example, 'Er geht in das Haus' means 'He enters the house'.

'Auf' is used to indicate movement up or towards a surface. For example, 'Er klettert auf den Baum' means 'He climbs the tree'.

'Über' can be translated as 'over' or 'above' and is used to indicate movement over something. For example, 'Das Flugzeug fliegt über die Stadt' means 'The plane flies over the city'.

'Unter' means 'under' or 'under' and is used to indicate movement under something. For example, 'Der Hund läuft unter den Tisch' means 'The dog runs under the table'.

'Neben' is used to indicate movement alongside something. For example, 'Er stellt das Auto neben das Haus' means 'He parks his car beside the house'.

'Vor' and 'hinter' are used to indicate 'forward' and 'backward' movement respectively. For example, 'Er geht vor das Haus' means 'He goes to the front of the house' and 'Er steht hinter dem Haus' means 'He is behind the house'.

'An' is used to indicate movement to an edge or boundary. For example, 'Er hängt das Bild an die Wand' means 'He hangs the picture on the wall'.

'Zwischen' means 'between' and is used to indicate movement between two things. For example, 'Er stellt das Buch zwischen die anderen Bücher' means 'He places the book among the other books'.

'Durch' means 'through' and is used to indicate movement through something. For example, 'Er geht durch den Wald' means 'He goes through the forest'.

'Um' means 'around' and is used to indicate movement around something. For example, 'Er läuft um den See' means 'He runs around the lake'.

'Entlang' means 'along' and is used to indicate movement along something. For example, 'Er geht den Fluss entlang' means 'He goes along the river'.

'Gegen' means 'against' and is used to indicate movement against something. For example, 'Er fährt gegen die Wand' means 'He drives into the wall'.

'Für' means 'for' and is used to indicate movement towards someone. For example, 'Er kauft das Geschenk für sie' means 'He buys her the present'.

'Ohne' means 'without' and is used to indicate movement without something. For example, 'Er geht ohne seinen Hut' means 'He goes without his hat'.

'Bis' means 'up to' and is used to indicate movement to a point. For example, 'Er läuft bis zum Ende der Straße' means 'He runs to the end of the street'.

'Aus' means 'from' and is used to indicate movement from a place. For example, 'Er kommt aus dem Haus' means 'He leaves the house'.

'Bei' means 'near' or 'in' and is used to indicate movement near a place. For example, 'Er wohnt bei der Schule' means 'He lives near the school'.

German prepositions of movement are a vital part of German grammar and are necessary to express direction and movement. Learning to use them correctly will significantly improve your German communication skills. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep practicing and you'll become proficient at using prepositions of motion in German.

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10024.5. Prepositions in German: Prepositions of Cause