Lesson 18: German Grammar – Prepositions and Cases
Objective:
In this lesson, you will learn about prepositions in German and how they interact with different grammatical cases. Understanding prepositions and their corresponding cases is crucial for mastering German grammar and constructing coherent sentences.
1. Prepositions and Cases:
– Prepositions are words that indicate relationships between elements in a sentence.
– German prepositions can govern different grammatical cases: accusative, dative, or genitive.
– Understanding which case a preposition requires is essential for proper sentence structure.
– Common prepositions in German include “an” (at, on), “in” (in), “auf” (on), “über” (over), “unter” (under), “vor” (before), “hinter” (behind), etc.
2. Accusative Case with Prepositions:
– Prepositions indicating movement towards a location often take the accusative case.
– Example: “Ich gehe in den Park” (I am going into the park). The preposition “in” requires the accusative case (“den” is the accusative masculine article).
– Other accusative prepositions include “durch” (through), “für” (for), “gegen” (against), “ohne” (without), “um” (around), etc.
3. Dative Case with Prepositions:
– Prepositions indicating location or stationary position often take the dative case.
– Example: “Er sitzt auf dem Stuhl” (He is sitting on the chair). The preposition “auf” requires the dative case (“dem” is the dative masculine article).
– Other dative prepositions include “aus” (out of), “bei” (at, near), “mit” (with), “nach” (after, to), “seit” (since), “von” (from), “zu” (to), etc.
4. Genitive Case with Prepositions:
– Prepositions indicating possession or relationship often take the genitive case.
– Example: “Ich bin wegen des Wetters drinnen geblieben” (I stayed indoors because of the weather). The preposition “wegen” requires the genitive case (“des” is the genitive masculine article).
– Other genitive prepositions include “anstatt” (instead of), “trotz” (despite), “während” (during), “wegen” (because of), etc.
5. Practice Exercises:
– Translate the following sentences into German, paying attention to the prepositions and the appropriate cases:
– She is going to the library. (accusative)
– He is waiting for the bus. (dative)
– They are afraid of the dark. (genitive)
– Create your own sentences using different prepositions and cases.
6. Recap and Summary:
– Prepositions in German govern specific grammatical cases: accusative, dative, or genitive.
– Accusative prepositions indicate movement towards a location.
– Dative prepositions indicate location or stationary position.
– Genitive prepositions indicate possession or relationship.
– Practice is key to mastering the correct usage of prepositions and cases in German.
7. Homework Assignment:
– Construct five sentences in German, each using a different preposition and the appropriate case.
– Write a short paragraph describing a typical day using a variety of prepositions and cases.
8. Further Learning:
– Practice with online exercises and quizzes focusing on prepositions and cases.
– Read German texts and pay attention to how prepositions are used in context.
– Communicate with native speakers or language partners to practice using prepositions in conversation.
9. Next Lesson:
– Lesson 19: German Word Order and Sentence Structure
Note: Understanding prepositions and their corresponding cases is fundamental to mastering German grammar. Regular practice and exposure to various contexts will help solidify your understanding and usage of prepositions in German.