German Preposition Trainer
Verbs, adjectives and nouns with a fixed preposition. You pick the preposition and the article in one go, then the da-word or pronoun and the question. Real sentences, contrast pairs and a list of the verbs that already stick.
Einstellungen · Akk + Dat · Tippen
Why a preposition is learned with its verb, not on its own
Which preposition a German verb takes rarely follows logic, and it rarely matches English: you wait for something, but in German it is warten auf; you think of someone, but it is denken an. The preposition also fixes the case — auf den Bus, an der Besprechung. A verb list read on paper falls apart in conversation. Preposition and case have to come out as one piece.
That is why the trainer asks for both at once: an die, auf den, mit dem. After a wrong answer it shows which half failed — the preposition or the case. The same verb then comes back in two other forms: the da-word or pronoun (darauf, auf ihn) and the question (Worauf? Auf wen?). Pairs that are often confused, such as sich freuen auf and sich freuen über, are asked one right after the other.
How the trainer decides what comes next
A verb you miss returns three tasks later in a different sentence. New verbs and verbs with recent mistakes are asked more often. A verb counts as solid when your last three answers with preposition and article were right, its da-word or question was right too, and this happened on at least two different days. With a free account, progress is saved on every device, and verbs that appear in your own mistakes in mitDeutsch lessons come up more often.
Verbs + prepositions — Verbs with a fixed preposition: case, examples, da- and wo-words.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which case comes after a verb with a fixed preposition?
- Some prepositions always take the same case: mit, von, zu, bei, nach and aus take the Dativ (sich treffen mit dem Team), für, um and gegen take the Akkusativ (sich interessieren für den Film). With an, auf, über, in, vor and unter the verb decides, so the case has to be learned with it. In fixed combinations über and auf mostly take the Akkusativ (warten auf den Bus, sich ärgern über den Lärm), vor mostly the Dativ (Angst haben vor dem Hund), and an goes both ways: denken an den Urlaub (Akk) but teilnehmen an der Besprechung (Dat).
- When do I say darauf and when auf ihn?
- For a thing, the preposition merges with da-: darauf, damit, dafür. Before a vowel an r is added: daran, darüber, darum. For a person you keep the preposition and use a pronoun: Ich warte auf ihn, Ich spreche mit ihr. The questions follow the same split: Worauf wartest du? for a thing, Auf wen wartest du? for a person.
- Why are sich freuen auf and sich freuen über asked one after the other?
- Some verbs change meaning with the preposition. Sich freuen auf is about something ahead (Ich freue mich auf den Urlaub), sich freuen über about something that has already happened (Ich freue mich über das Geschenk). Asking both in a row makes you look at the meaning, not only the verb.
- What if another preposition is also correct?
- Some verbs accept a second preposition, for example sprechen von next to sprechen über, or sich vorbereiten für next to sich vorbereiten auf. The trainer counts such an answer as right and shows the combination it practises.
- When does a verb count as learned?
- Each of the 79 verbs, adjectives and nouns keeps your recent answers. It counts as solid when your last three answers with preposition and article were right, you also got its da-word or question right, and this happened on at least two different days. A verb you miss comes back three tasks later in a different sentence.
- Is my progress saved?
- Without an account, progress stays in your browser on this device. With a free mitDeutsch account, it is saved to your account and follows you to every device, and verbs that appear in your own mistakes in mitDeutsch lessons come up more often.
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