In English, the preposition does not change the noun/pronoun it precedes. Was machst du im Sommer? as a temporal preposition, “in” can be translated as “in,” where a period of time is implicit. ), Die Frau ist an der Tankstelle. Three German prepositions, in particular, can be tricky for beginners: in, an and auf. A horizontal encounter is often key for "auf."). Wie oft gehst du ins Kino? you use in when there is no indirect object in the dative case. In takes accusative if the prepositional complement of place implies movement (direction). The preposition in is in the group of preposition that can be accusative or dative, depending on the meaning of the clause. The preposition in is in the group of preposition that can be accusative or dative, depending on the meaning of the clause. ), Die Frau ist in der Universität. For example, prepositions can refer to the noun's position in space or time. (The woman is in the university, as in she is physically inside the university building. “in” as a locative preposition. in German studies. Although German is a straightforward language once you learn the rules, you can't always directly translate every word from English. Two-Way Prepositions Part 3: Horizontal / Vertical, Avoid These German Prepositional Pitfalls, German Prepositions That Take the Accusative Case, Learn All About Dual Prepositions in German, German Adjective Endings: Nominative, Accusative, and Dative Cases, German Verbs with Prepositions 1 - German Lesson, Learn the Months, Seasons, Days, and Dates in German. Some prepositions are colloquial or you just have to memorize them, like "get down with.". What do you do in the summer? In takes dative if the prepositional complement of place does not imply movement (location). The same goes for German. How often do you go to the theater? Take note that, as a temporal preposition, “in” is dative: In einer Stunde bin ich wieder da I’ll be back in one hour. ), Die Frau ist auf der Bank. and im when it is in the dative case...if you are confused look up dative case german prepositions and this should help Ingrid Bauer, who is fluent in German, has been teaching and tutoring the German language since 1996. (The bakery is on the main street. in means “in” in English. Like "put your feet under the table," or "go shopping after class. “in” is not declined (it doesn’t change), just like all the prepositions. She has a teaching degree and an M.A. ", But many English prepositions have different meanings. It must be emphasized again that "in" is as a "Wechselpräposition". (The woman is at the gas station, as in she is literally standing up next to the vertical gas pump. These are all two-way prepositions, meaning the noun/pronoun that follows this preposition will be conjugated in the accusative (if it is used to express motion/action, like "I walk into the store") or dative (if it is used to express a location or position, like "I stand in the street"). It can be helpful to think about a side-by-side, vertical encounter to remember when to use "an" as in "up next to. home > : Pronouns | Prepositions | Nouns | Plurals | Diminutives | Verbs | Conjugation | Passive | Irregular verbs | Modal Verbs | Separable verbs | Reflexive verbs | Reciprocal verbs | Impersonal verbs | Conjunctions | Articles | Adverbs | Konjunktionaladverbien | Adjective | Comparative and superlative | Word order in German | Negation and Affirmation | Interrogation | Indirect question | Subordinates | relative clauses | Conditional clauses | Comma, Suggestions to Help You | Difficulties with learning German | Greetings, Learning from the beginning | Grammar | Glossaries | Practical German, Copyright www.GermanVeryEasy.com 2008-2020 [no cached] v9| Privacidad| Aviso Legal, Wer im Sommer arbeitet, leidet im Winter keinen Hunger, He who works in the summer is not hungry in the winter. See below. (The woman is on the bench, as in she is literally sitting on top of the horizontal bench. The meaning of “in” in German. If you want to say you are enrolled in the university, you say, " an der Universität," as in "at the university." What Is a Preposition? "), Examples: Die Backerei ist auf der Hauptstraße. You can memorize the meanings of the prepositions, but not all will be a direct translation of the English counterpart. A preposition is a word that is typically paired with a noun (or pronoun, like he or she) that helps you understand that word's relationship to another part of the sentence. Think about "hang out" or "hang up" in English; the preposition is an important component of the verb that actually changes the meaning of it. This means that is can take accusative or dative depending on the clause. In fact, the more you study some words, the more confusing they may become. Some verbs come standard with a preposition. ), Examples: Ich sitze an dem Tisch. "Under" can be below, but it can also mean less than. It must be emphasized again that "in" is as a "Wechselpräposition". (I stand in the street. Examples: Ich stehe in der Straße. Both of these prepositions are used with Haus(e), but only nach means "to" when used with Haus.The phrase zu Hause means "at home," just as zu Rom means "at/in Rome" in that poetic, old-fashioned type of construction.Note that if you want to say "to my house/place" in German, you say zu mir (zu + dative pronoun) and the word Haus is not used at all! A preposition is a word that is typically paired with a noun (or pronoun, like he or she) … Three German prepositions, in particular, can be tricky for beginners: in, an and auf. Nach Hause and zu Hause . (I am sitting at the table.