A2 - Lesson 34 | Wechselpräpositionen | Two way prepositions | German for beginners

Summary

This German language video tutorial focuses on 'Wechselpräpositionen', or variable prepositions, which can take either the accusative or dative case depending on their use. The video explains the difference between 'wo' (where) and 'wohin' (where to), illustrating how they indicate position or direction. It then covers various prepositions like 'an', 'auf', 'hinter', 'über', 'neben', 'unter', 'vor', and 'zwischen', providing examples for each to clarify when to use the accusative or dative case. The tutorial is designed to help learners understand and correctly use these prepositions in different contexts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Wechselpräpositionen are local prepositions that can be used with both accusative and dative cases depending on the context.
• 📍 'Wo' and 'wohin' are used to ask 'where' or 'whither', with 'wo' indicating a position or location and 'wohin' indicating an action or direction.
• 🔄 The prepositions 'an', 'auf', 'hinter', 'neben', 'über', 'unter', 'vor', and 'zwischen' are examples of Wechselpräpositionen.
• 🏠 'An' is used with the dative case when indicating a position and with the accusative case when indicating movement towards something.
• 📚 'Auf' is used with the accusative when there is movement towards a surface and with the dative when something is already on a surface.
• 🐱 'Hinter' is used with the accusative to indicate movement towards the back of something and with the dative to indicate a stationary position behind something.
• 💧 'Über' is used with the accusative when something is placed above something else, indicating movement, and with the dative for a stationary position above without contact.
• 🎾 'Neben' is used with the accusative when indicating movement next to something and with the dative for a stationary position next to something without contact.
• 🏐 'Unter' is used with the accusative when something is moving under something and with the dative for a stationary position under something.
• 🚗 'Vor' is used with the accusative when indicating movement in front of something and with the dative for a stationary position in front of something.
• 🥛 'Zwischen' is used with the accusative when indicating something is placed between two items, and the article changes accordingly depending on the case.

Q & A

What are 'Wechselpräpositionen'?

Wechselpräpositionen are local prepositions that can sometimes be used with the accusative case and sometimes with the dative case because they indicate location.

Why do 'Wechselpräpositionen' change their cases?

They change cases depending on whether they are indicating a movement (accusative) or a stationary position (dative).

What is the difference between 'wo' and 'wohin'?

'Wo' indicates a position or location, while 'wohin' indicates an action or direction towards a point.

Can you provide an example of using 'an' with accusative?

In the sentence 'Sie hängt das Bild an die Wand', 'an' is used with the accusative because it indicates the direction of the action.

How is 'an' used with dative?

In the sentence 'Das Bild hängt an der Wand', 'an' is used with the dative because it indicates the position of the picture on the wall.

What are the rules for using 'an' with masculine nouns?

With masculine nouns, 'an' is used as 'an den' in the accusative and 'an dem' in the dative.

What is the difference between 'auf' when indicating movement versus position?

When indicating movement, 'auf' is used with the accusative (e.g., 'Sie stellt die Flasche auf den Tisch'). When indicating a position, 'auf' is used with the dative (e.g., 'Die Flasche steht auf dem Tisch').

Can you give an example of using 'hinter' with accusative?

In the sentence 'Die Katze läuft hinter den Baum', 'hinter' is used with the accusative because it indicates the direction of the cat's movement.

How do you use 'hinter' with dative to indicate position?

In the sentence 'Die Katze steht hinter dem Baum', 'hinter' is used with the dative because it indicates the stationary position of the cat relative to the tree.

What is the rule for using 'über' with accusative and dative?

With 'über', if there is contact with the object, it is used with the dative (e.g., 'Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch'). If there is no contact, it is used with the accusative (e.g., 'Er hängt die Lampe über den Tisch').

Can you explain the usage of 'neben' with accusative and dative?

With 'neben', if there is contact, it is used with the dative (e.g., 'Sie parkt ihr Auto neben dem blauen Auto'). If there is no contact, it is used with the accusative.

What is the last 'Wechselpräposition' covered in the script?

The last 'Wechselpräposition' covered is 'zwischen', which is used to indicate something is in between two objects.

How can one get more practice with 'Wechselpräpositionen'?

One can download free world scripts or visit the provided website in the video description for more practice.