What are Dative Prepositions?
In German, some prepositions always take the dative case. This means that the noun or pronoun following these prepositions must be declined accordingly.
Common Dative Prepositions
| German Preposition |
English Translation |
Meaning / Usage |
| aus |
from / out of |
Indicates origin or material |
| bei |
at / near / with |
Indicates location or association |
| mit |
with |
Indicates accompaniment |
| nach |
after / to |
Used for destinations or time |
| seit |
since |
Indicates duration |
| von |
from / of |
Indicates origin or possession |
| zu |
to |
Used for direction or purpose |
| gegenüber |
opposite / across from |
Indicates position or location |
Examples of Dative Prepositions
1. Ich komme aus der Schweiz. (I come from Switzerland.)
2. Er wohnt bei seinen Eltern. (He lives with his parents.)
3. Wir fahren mit dem Zug. (We are traveling by train.)
4. Nach dem Essen gehen wir spazieren. (After eating, we will go for a walk.)
5. Ich warte seit einer Stunde. (I have been waiting for an hour.)
6. Das Buch ist von meinem Freund. (The book is from my friend.)
7. Wir gehen zu meiner Tante. (We are going to my aunt's house.)
8. Der Park liegt gegenüber der Kirche. (The park is opposite the church.)
Additional Notes
When using dative prepositions, make sure to decline the noun correctly. For example, for masculine nouns, der changes to dem in the dative case.