Master 59 German Genitive Prepositions: Lists, Tables, and Examples

Introduction

Mastering German prepositions is essential for achieving fluency and precision in the language. Among these, genitive prepositions hold a significant place as they help express possession, cause, time, and other nuanced relationships between nouns. This comprehensive guide will delve into German genitive prepositions, their different types, and provide practical examples to enhance your understanding and usage.

What Are Genitive Prepositions?

Genitive prepositions are prepositions that require the noun or pronoun following them to be in the genitive case.  The genitive case often indicates possession or close association but can also express various relationships such as time, cause, and manner when used with certain prepositions. Knowing how to use these prepositions correctly is crucial for constructing precise and sophisticated sentences in German.

List of Common German Genitive Prepositions

Below is a list of the most commonly used German genitive prepositions along with their English translations:

German Preposition	English Translation
wegen	because of
während	during
trotz	despite
statt / anstatt	instead of
aufgrund	due to
infolge	as a result of
angesichts	in view of
anlässlich	on the occasion of
bezüglich	regarding
innerhalb	within
außerhalb	outside of
mithilfe	with the help of
dank	thanks to
anhand	based on
unweit	not far from

Examples

Here are example sentences using the most common genitive prepositions, along with their English translations:

Preposition	German Example Sentence	English Translation
wegen	Wegen des Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause.	Because of the weather, we’re staying at home.
während	Während des Meetings machten wir Notizen.	During the meeting, we took notes.
trotz	Trotz der Kälte gingen sie spazieren.	Despite the cold, they went for a walk.
statt / anstatt	Anstatt des Autos kaufte er ein Fahrrad.	Instead of the car, he bought a bicycle.
aufgrund	Aufgrund des Verkehrs kam sie zu spät.	Due to the traffic, she arrived late.
infolge	Infolge des Unfalls war die Straße gesperrt.	As a result of the accident, the road was closed.
angesichts	Angesichts der Lage müssen wir handeln.	In view of the situation, we must act.
anlässlich	Anlässlich ihres Geburtstages gab es eine Feier.	On the occasion of her birthday, there was a celebration.
bezüglich	Bezüglich des Projekts gibt es Neuigkeiten.	There is news regarding the project.
innerhalb	Innerhalb einer Woche erhalten Sie Antwort.	You will receive an answer within a week.
außerhalb	Sie wohnen außerhalb der Stadt.	They live outside of the city.
mithilfe	Mithilfe seiner Freunde gelang es ihm.	With the help of his friends, he succeeded.
dank	Dank ihrer Unterstützung war das Event ein Erfolg.	Thanks to their support, the event was a success.
anhand	Anhand des Plans konnte er das Problem lösen.	Based on the plan, he could solve the problem.
unweit	Das Hotel liegt unweit des Strandes.	The hotel is located not far from the beach.

Categories of German Genitive Prepositions

German genitive prepositions can be categorized based on their semantic functions. Understanding these categories will help you use them more effectively in context.

Temporal Prepositions 

Temporal prepositions express relationships related to time. They answer questions like “When?” or “For how long?” in a sentence, helping to situate actions within a temporal framework.

List of Temporal Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
während	during	Während des Films blieb es still.	During the movie, it remained quiet.
innerhalb	within	Innerhalb eines Monats wird es fertig sein.	It will be finished within a month.
außerhalb	outside of	Außerhalb der Arbeitszeit ist er nicht erreichbar.	He is not reachable outside of working hours.
eingangs	at the beginning of	Eingangs des Treffens wurden die Themen vorgestellt.	At the beginning of the meeting, the topics were introduced.
ausgangs	at the end of	Ausgangs des Jahres ziehen wir Bilanz.	At the end of the year, we take stock.

Temporal Prepositions Quiz

Practice the temporal prepositions with a free quiz: here.

Local Prepositions

Local prepositions describe spatial relationships, indicating where something is located relative to something else. They help answer questions like “Where?” and “In what direction?”.

List of Local Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
abseits	away from	Er wohnt abseits der Hauptstraße.	He lives away from the main road.
außerhalb	outside of	Die Fabrik liegt außerhalb der Stadt.	The factory is located outside of the city.
innerhalb	inside of	Innerhalb des Gebäudes ist es warm.	Inside the building, it is warm.
inmitten	in the midst of	Das Schloss liegt inmitten des Parks.	The castle lies in the midst of the park.
oberhalb	above	Oberhalb des Dorfes steht eine Kirche.	Above the village stands a church.
unterhalb	below	Unterhalb der Brücke fließt der Fluss.	Below the bridge flows the river.
unweit	not far from	Das Restaurant ist unweit des Bahnhofs.	The restaurant is not far from the train station.
diesseits	on this side of	Diesseits des Flusses liegt die Stadt.	On this side of the river lies the city.
jenseits	on the other side of	Jenseits der Berge beginnt ein neues Land.	On the other side of the mountains, a new land begins.
beiderseits	on both sides of	Beiderseits der Straße stehen Bäume.	Trees stand on both sides of the street.
nördlich	north of	Nördlich der Stadt beginnt der Wald.	North of the city, the forest begins.
südlich	south of	Südlich des Flusses liegt ein Dorf.	South of the river lies a village.
östlich	east of	Östlich der Grenze gibt es eine Burg.	East of the border, there’s a castle.
westlich	west of	Westlich des Parks ist ein See.	West of the park is a lake.
links	to the left of	Links des Eingangs steht eine Statue.	To the left of the entrance stands a statue.
rechts	to the right of	Rechts des Hauses befindet sich der Garten.	To the right of the house is the garden.
seitlich	on the side of	Seitlich des Gebäudes gibt es Parkplätze.	On the side of the building, there are parking spaces.
längs	alongside	Wir spazieren längs des Flusses.	We are walking along the river.
fern / fernab	far from	Sie leben fernab der Zivilisation.	They live far from civilization.
unfern	not far from	Unfern des Hotels gibt es ein Museum.	Not far from the hotel, there’s a museum.

Causal Prepositions

Causal prepositions express a cause or reason for something. They help explain why something happens, answering the question “Why?”. You can get to know more about causal sentences in German: here.

List of Causal Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
wegen	because of	Wegen des Sturms wurde das Fest abgesagt.	Because of the storm, the festival was canceled.
aufgrund	due to	Aufgrund der Nachfrage erhöhen sie die Produktion.	Due to the demand, they are increasing production.
dank	thanks to	Dank seiner Erfahrung löste er das Problem schnell.	Thanks to his experience, he solved the problem quickly.
angesichts	in view of	Angesichts der Beweise gestand er.	In view of the evidence, he confessed.
anlässlich	on the occasion of	Anlässlich des Jubiläums gab es ein Konzert.	On the occasion of the anniversary, there was a concert.
mangels	for lack of	Mangels Alternativen nahmen sie das Angebot an.	For lack of alternatives, they accepted the offer.
kraft	by virtue of	Kraft seines Amtes traf er die Entscheidung.	By virtue of his office, he made the decision.
halber	for the sake of	Er tat es der Gerechtigkeit halber.	He did it for the sake of justice.

Consecutive Prepositions

Consecutive prepositions indicate the consequence or result of an action or event. They help answer the question “With what result?”.  

List of Consecutive Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
infolge	as a result of	Infolge des Regens wurde das Spiel verschoben.	As a result of the rain, the game was postponed.

Concessive Genitive Prepositions

Concessive prepositions express a contrast or concession, indicating that something happens despite certain conditions or obstacles. You can find more information about concessive sentences: here.

List of Concessive Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
trotz	despite	Trotz des Verbots betrat er das Gelände.	Despite the prohibition, he entered the premises.
ungeachtet	regardless	Ungeachtet der Risiken entschied sie sich zu springen.	Regardless the risks, she decided to jump.
unbeschadet	without prejudice to	Unbeschadet der Regeln machte er eine Ausnahme.	Without prejudice to the rules, he made an exception.

Method Prepositions

Method prepositions describe the means or method by which something is done, answering the question “How?” or “By what means?”.

List of Method Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
anhand	based on	Anhand der Daten analysierten sie den Markt.	Based on the data, they analyzed the market.
mittels	by means of	Mittels neuer Technik verbesserte er die Qualität.	By means of new technology, he improved the quality.
mithilfe	with the help of	Mithilfe seines Teams erreichte er das Ziel.	With the help of his team, he achieved the goal.
kraft	by virtue of	Kraft seines Amtes traf er die Entscheidung.	By virtue of his office, he made the decision.

Alternative Genitive Prepositions

Alternative prepositions express a choice or substitution of one thing for another, indicating an alternative.

List of Alternative Genitive Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
statt / anstatt	instead of	Statt des Kuchens brachte sie Kekse mit.	Instead of the cake, she brought cookies.
anstelle	in place of	Anstelle eines Briefes schickte er eine E-Mail.	In place of a letter, he sent an email.

Final Prepositions

Final prepositions express the purpose or goal of an action, answering the question “For what purpose?“. You can read more about final sentences: here.

List of Final Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
zwecks	for the purpose of	Er reist nach Berlin zwecks eines Geschäftstreffens.	He travels to Berlin for the purpose of a business meeting.
um … willen	for the sake of	Sie verzichtete um des Friedens willen auf ihre Forderung.	She waived her claim for the sake of peace.
halber	for the sake of	Er tat es der Freundschaft halber.	He did it for the sake of friendship.

Reference Genitive Prepositions

Reference prepositions are used to refer to something or someone, often indicating a topic, subject matter, or point of reference.

List of Reference Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
bezüglich	regarding	Bezüglich deiner Frage habe ich nachgedacht.	Regarding your question, I have thought about it.
betreffs	concerning	Betreffs des Termins melde ich mich später.	Concerning the appointment, I’ll get back to you later.
hinsichtlich	with regard to	Hinsichtlich der Qualität gibt es keine Bedenken.	With regard to the quality, there are no concerns.
rücksichtlich	regarding	Rücksichtlich der Änderungen informieren wir Sie bald.	Regarding the changes, we will inform you soon.
eingedenk	mindful of	Eingedenk der Vergangenheit handeln wir vorsichtig.	Mindful of the past, we act cautiously.
ausweislich	as evident from	Ausweislich des Berichts sind die Zahlen gestiegen.	As evident from the report, the numbers have increased.
seitens / vonseiten	on the part of	Seitens der Geschäftsführung gab es Zustimmung.	There was approval on the part of the management.

Conditional Prepositions

Conditional prepositions express a condition or stipulation upon which something depends, indicating that an action is subject to certain conditions.

List of Conditional Prepositions with Examples

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
vorbehaltlich	subject to	Vorbehaltlich deiner Zustimmung starten wir das Projekt.	Subject to your approval, we’ll start the project.

Other German Genitive Prepositions

Examples

Here are additional genitive prepositions with example sentences:

Preposition	Meaning	German Example Sentence	English Translation
einschließlich	including	Der Preis beträgt 100 Euro einschließlich der Steuern.	The price is 100 euros including taxes.
ausschließlich	excluding	Ausschließlich seiner Meinung waren alle einverstanden.	Excluding his opinion, everyone agreed.
exklusive	excluding	Der Betrag ist exklusive der Versandkosten.	The amount is excluding shipping costs.
inklusive	including	Inklusive des Rabatts kostet es weniger.	Including the discount, it costs less.
abzüglich	less	Abzüglich der Steuern bleibt weniger übrig.	Less taxes, less remains.
zuzüglich	plus	Der Betrag ist zuzüglich der Versandkosten zu zahlen.	The amount is payable plus shipping costs.
laut	according to	Laut des Berichts gibt es Verbesserungen.	According to the report, there are improvements.
gemäß (more formal)	according to	Gemäß der Vereinbarung teilen wir die Kosten.	According to the agreement, we share the costs.
zugunsten / zu Gunsten	in favor of	Er entschied sich zugunsten des kleineren Autos.	He decided in favor of the smaller car.
zuungunsten / zu Ungunsten	to the detriment of	Die Entscheidung fiel zuungunsten des Angeklagten.	The decision was made to the detriment of the defendant.
zulasten / zu Lasten	at the expense of	Die Kosten gehen zulasten des Käufers.	The costs are at the expense of the buyer.
bar	free of	Bar jeder Vernunft handelte er impulsiv.	Devoid of any reason, he acted impulsively.

Genitive VS Dative Prepositions Quiz

Do you know when to take a dative and when a genitive preposition? Test your skills with our dative vs. genitive prepositions quiz: here.

Conclusion

Understanding and correctly using German genitive prepositions is essential for achieving fluency and expressing complex ideas accurately. By familiarizing yourself with these prepositions and practicing with the example sentences provided, you’ll enhance your linguistic skills and confidence in using the German language effectively. Remember, regular practice and exposure to the language will help solidify your understanding. Use this guide as a reference and consider incorporating these prepositions into your everyday German conversations and writings.

FAQs

What are genitive prepositions in German?

Genitive prepositions are prepositions that require the noun or pronoun following them to be in the genitive case. They are used to express relationships such as possession, cause, time, and manner.

Are genitive prepositions important?

They allow for more precise and nuanced expressions in German. Using them correctly enhances the sophistication and clarity of your language, especially in formal writing and complex sentences.

Can some prepositions be used with more than one case?

Yes, some prepositions can be used with different cases. In spoken language, certain prepositions (e.g wegen) are sometimes used with the dative case instead.

Are genitive prepositions used frequently in everyday German?

While some genitive prepositions are common in everyday language (e.g., “wegen”), others are more formal or used in written German. Learning them expands your understanding and ability to comprehend various texts, including literature and formal documents.

Is the genitive case disappearing in German?

In spoken German, the genitive case is sometimes replaced by the dative, especially in certain regions. However, it remains important in formal writing, literature, and standard German. Learning it is essential for a comprehensive understanding of the language.

Where can I find more resources on German prepositions?

You can explore more articles on our website, such as German Prepositions Guide, or consider using textbooks and online courses dedicated to German grammar.