A preposition is a small word that shows position, direction, or relationship — like "in, on, with, to" in English. In German, every preposition forces the noun that follows it into a specific case, and these seven always take the dative case, no matter what: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu. Several of them carry more than one English meaning, so learn each meaning with its own example.
| Preposition | Meaning | Example (German) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| aus | out of / from (origin) | Ich komme aus Deutschland. | I come from Germany. |
| made of | Der Tisch ist aus Holz. | The table is made of wood. | |
| bei | at / near (a place or someone) | Ich bin bei meiner Oma. | I am at my grandma's place. |
| during / while | Bei Regen bleibe ich zu Hause. | When it rains, I stay home. | |
| mit | with | Ich fahre mit dem Bus. | I go by bus. |
| nach | after (time) | Nach der Schule spiele ich Fußball. | After school I play football. |
| to (a city or country, no article) | Ich fahre nach Berlin. | I am going to Berlin. | |
| seit | since / for (time) | Ich lerne seit einem Jahr Deutsch. | I have been learning German for a year. |
| von | from (origin / sender) | Der Brief ist von meiner Freundin. | The letter is from my friend. |
| of / 's (possession) | Das Auto von meinem Vater ist neu. | My father's car is new. | |
| zu | to (a person or place) | Ich gehe zu meiner Freundin. | I am going to my friend's place. |
| for (occasion / purpose) | Zum Geburtstag bekomme ich ein Geschenk. | For my birthday I get a present. |
Which case do aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, and zu always take?