German Dative Preposition: Understand Usage, Examples & Exercises

Are you interested in learning German? You need to learn about dative prepositions. Most of the dative prepositions in German are in the form of common vocabulary, for instance, nach (after, too), von (by, of), and mit (with). It’s hard to speak German without them. Dative prepositions imply the dative case and are mostly followed by a flavour noun or an object in the dative case. On the other hand, in English, prepositions act as an object of the preposition, and all the prepositions follow the same case. On the other hand, in German, prepositions are of numerous “flavours,” one of which is the Dative Prepositions.

What are Dative Prepositions in German?

Dative prepositions are words that show the relationship between an action and the indirect object in a sentence. They are also responsible for conveying a sense of direction or purpose. Dative prepositions include words such as “aus” (out of), “mit” (with), and “nach” (to/after). In German, for example, “Ich gehe mit Freunden” means “I am going with friends,” whereas “mit” defines companionship. Similarly, in English, “I gave a gift to her” is an example of the use of the dative preposition “to” indicating the recipient. Dative preposition ensures language precision by specifying the indirect object of an action, resulting in grammatical accuracy and effective communication skills.

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Dative Preposition Usage With Examples

Here is the list of dative prepositions in German and their meanings in the English Language that refer to the indirect object in the sentence.

German Preposition	English Translation	Examples in German and English
bei	at, near, with	Ich bin bei meiner Familie. (I am with my family.)
mit	with	Ich esse mit meinen Freunden. (I am eating with my friends.)
von	from, of	Das ist das Auto von meinem Vater. (That is the car of my father.)
zu	to	Ich gehe zu meinem Freund. (I am going to my friend.)
gegenüber	across from, opposite	Die Bäckerei ist gegenüber dem Park. (The bakery is across from the park.)
seit	since	Ich lerne seit dem letzten Jahr Deutsch. (I have been learning German since last year..)
aus	out of, from	Er kommt aus dem Haus. (He comes from the house.)
nach	to , after	Wir gehen nach Hause. (We are going home.)
auBer	except for, besides	Ich mag alle Früchte, außer Bananen” (I like all fruits except bananas.)

Also Read: Exciting Blog on Nouns

Exercise on Dative Prepositions

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the Dative Prepositions.

1. Der Hund liegt _____ dem Sofa.
2. Ich gebe das Geschenk _____ meiner Schwester.
3. Wir gehen _____ dem Markt einkaufen.
4. Das Buch steht _____ dem Regal.
5. Sie hilft mir _____ den Hausaufgaben.
6. Der Kaffee steht _____ der Tasse.
7. Die Blumen stehen _____ dem Fenster.
8. Er antwortet _____ dem Lehrer.
9. Die Kinder spielen _____ dem Park.
10. Die Lampe hängt _____ dem Tisch.

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Answers on Dative Prepositions

Match your exercise with the solved answers.

1. Der Hund liegt vor dem Sofa.
2. Ich gebe das Geschenk meiner Schwester.
3. Wir gehen zum Markt einkaufen.
4. Das Buch steht im Regal.
5. Sie hilft mir bei den Hausaufgaben.
6. Der Kaffee steht in der Tasse.
7. Die Blumen stehen vor dem Fenster.
8. Er antwortet dem Lehrer.
9. Die Kinder spielen im Park.
10. Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch.

Exercise on Dative Prepositions

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate preposition from the following list, considering the meaning they convey: from, with, to, since, by, at, except.

1. I received a letter ______ my friend.
2. She has been studying English ______ last year.
3. We are going ______ the library.
4. He went to the party ______ his sister.
5. ______ the rain, we enjoyed the picnic.
6. The meeting will be held ______ the community center.
7. The painting was created ______ a famous artist.

Answer Key:

1. I received a letter from my friend. (Indicates origin)
2. She has been studying English since last year. (Indicates a starting point in time)
3. We are going to the library. (Indicates direction)
4. He went to the party with his sister. (Indicates accompaniment)
5. Except the rain, we enjoyed the picnic. (Indicates exclusion)
6. The meeting will be held at the community center. (Indicates location)
7. The painting was created by a famous artist. (Indicates the agent or creator)

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