Master German Local Prepositions (Lokale Präpositionen): List, Examples, and Quiz

Hand pointing at a map with Europe and Africa, illustrating the use of German local prepositions like 'auf' (on) and 'in' (in).

Table of Contents

Introduction

Understanding local prepositions in German is essential for accurately describing locations and directions. Whether you’re navigating a city, giving directions, or describing where something is, mastering these prepositions will greatly enhance your fluency and comprehension.

What Are German Local Prepositions?

German local prepositions are words that indicate location and direction. They help answer questions like “Where?”, “Where to?”, and “Where from?” By using them correctly, you can convey precise spatial information in your sentences.

German Local Prepositions List

Below is a list of German local prepositions divided into categories based on the spatial questions they answer. Each preposition is associated with a specific grammatical case, which affects the form of the noun or pronoun that follows.

Local Prepositions for “Where to” (Wohin?)

Case Preposition
Dative nach, zu
Accusative bis, durch, entlang, gegen, um

Local Prepositions for “Where” (Wo?)

Case Preposition
Genitive außerhalb, innerhalb, abseits, inmitten, oberhalb, unterhalb, unweit, diesseits, jenseits, beiderseits, nördlich, südlich, östlich, westlich, links, rechts, seitlich, längs, fern, unfern
Dative ab, bei, gegenüber, von … aus, zu Hause
Accusative an … entlang, um, um … herum
The most local prepositions for “where” are used with the genitive. You can read more about all German genitive prepositions: here.

Prepositions for “Where from” (Woher?)

Case Preposition
Dative aus, von

Two-Way Prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)

Two-way prepositions can be used with either the dative or accusative case. When they answer the question “Where?” (Wo?), indicating a stationary location, they take the Dative case. When they answer the question “Where to?” (Wohin?), indicating movement toward a destination, they take the Accusative case. You can find a detailed article: here.
Preposition English Translation
an at, on (vertical surfaces)
auf on (horizontal surfaces), onto
hinter behind
in in, into
neben next to
über over, above
unter under, below
vor in front of, before
zwischen between

Example Sentences for German Local Prepositions

Magnifying glass highlighting a map with pins, representing German local prepositions such as 'über' (over) and 'neben' (next to).

Explore the meaning of German local prepositions like ‘über’ (over) and ‘neben’ (next to).

Below are example sentences that illustrate how to use these local prepositions in context.

Local Prepositions for “Where to” (Wohin?)

Preposition German Sentence English Translation
nach Ich fahre nach Berlin. I am driving to Berlin.
zu Wir gehen zu dem Park. We are going to the park.
bis Fahre geradeaus bis die Ampel. Drive straight ahead up to the traffic light.
durch Wir gehen durch den Wald. We are walking through the forest.
entlang Er läuft den Fluss entlang. He is walking along the river.
gegen Das Auto prallte gegen den Baum. The car crashed against the tree.
um Sie gehen um das Haus. They are walking around the house.

Local Prepositions for “Where” (Wo?)

Preposition German Sentence English Translation
außerhalb Er wohnt außerhalb der Stadt. He lives outside the city.
innerhalb Innerhalb des Gebäudes ist es warm. Inside the building, it is warm.
ab Der Zug fährt ab dem Hauptbahnhof. The train departs from the main station.
bei Ich bin bei meiner Freundin. I am at my girlfriend’s place.
gegenüber Das Café liegt gegenüber der Bank. The café is located opposite the bank.
von … aus Von hier aus kann man die Berge sehen. From here, you can see the mountains.
zu Hause Ich bin heute zu Hause. I am at home today.
an … entlang Wir spazieren an der Straße entlang. We are walking along the street.
um Das Geschäft ist um die Ecke. The shop is around the corner.
um … herum Die Kinder laufen um den Baum herum. The children are running around the tree.

Prepositions for “Where from” (Woher?)

Preposition German Sentence English Translation
aus Sie kommt aus der Schweiz. She comes from Switzerland.
von Der Brief ist von meinem Bruder. The letter is from my brother.

Examples of Two-Way Prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)

Below are the two-way prepositions used with both Dative and Accusative cases. Remember, use Dative when indicating location (“Where?”) and Accusative when indicating direction (“Where to?”).
Preposition Dative Example (Location) Accusative Example (Direction)
an Das Bild hängt an der Wand. (The picture is hanging on the wall.) Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. (I am hanging the picture on the wall.)
auf Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book is lying on the table.) Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (I am putting the book on the table.)
hinter Das Auto steht hinter dem Haus. (The car is parked behind the house.) Er geht hinter das Haus. (He is going behind the house.)
in Wir sind in der Stadt. (We are in the city.) Wir gehen in die Stadt. (We are going into the city.)
neben Der Stuhl steht neben dem Tisch. (The chair is next to the table.) Er stellt den Stuhl neben den Tisch. (He puts the chair next to the table.)
über Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch. (The lamp is hanging over the table.) Der Vogel fliegt über das Haus. (The bird is flying over the house.)
unter Die Katze schläft unter dem Sofa. (The cat is sleeping under the sofa.) Die Katze läuft unter das Sofa. (The cat runs under the sofa.)
vor Wir treffen uns vor dem Kino. (We are meeting in front of the cinema.) Stell das Fahrrad vor die Tür. (Put the bicycle in front of the door.)
zwischen Das Sofa steht zwischen den Sesseln. (The sofa is between the armchairs.) Er stellt das Sofa zwischen die Sessel. (He places the sofa between the armchairs.)

Test Your Knowledge with Our German Local Prepositions Quiz

Ready to test your understanding? Take our interactive quiz to see how much you’ve learned. Two-way prepositions quiz: here.

Conclusion

Mastering German local prepositions is crucial for effective communication in the language. They allow you to describe locations and directions accurately, making your conversations more precise and understandable. Remember to practice regularly and refer back to this guide whenever you need a refresher.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are local prepositions in German?

Local prepositions in German are words that indicate location and direction. They help answer questions like “Where?” (Wo?), “Where to?” (Wohin?), and “Where from?” (Woher?).

How do I know which case to use with local prepositions?

The case depends on the preposition and the context. Some prepositions always take a specific case (genitive, dative or accusative), while two-way prepositions can take either dative or accusative depending on whether they indicate location (dative) or direction (accusative).

Where can I find a list of prepositions that are used with dative and accusative?

You can find the most important dative prepositions: here and the most important accusative prepositions: here.

Which prepositions shall I learn first?

To effectively learn German prepositions, it’s best to start with those using the dative and accusative cases. Once you’ve mastered those, focus on two-way prepositions, local, and temporal ones. Lastly, tackle genitive prepositions as they are less common. This approach will help you build a solid foundation step by step.
 
 

No Responses

Recent Posts

Share

Logo of How to Study German with a map outline and German flag colors
Home
Privacy Policy & Sign Up
Contact Info
Email:

info [at] howtostudygerman [dot] com

Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.