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Topic test · A1

The preposition von test

13questions
8minutes
60%pass mark
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Topic test

13 questions, easy to hard

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I’m coming from work.

von der Arbeit. Work is an institution or activity, not an enclosed box → von. bei der Arbeit would mean “at work”.

Ich komme Arzt. (from the doctor’s)

I’m coming from the doctor’s.

vom Arzt. der Arzt becomes dem Arzt in the Dativ, and here von dem contracts to vom.

I have class from Monday to Friday.

I have class from Monday to Friday.

von … bis. The fixed pattern for a range from start to end. Day names have no article in this pattern.

My father’s car (spoken German)

von meinem Vater. von takes the Dativ; the masculine Dativ is meinem. In written German the same thing is das Auto meines Vaters.

The letter was written by Anna.

von Anna. In a passive sentence the person who does the action is attached with von. mit Anna would mean “together with Anna”.

This is a gift from me.

This is a gift from me.

von mir. von takes the Dativ without exception; ich in the Dativ is mir.

I’m from Ankara.

aus Ankara. Origin is always aus. von tells you where you came from today — not where you are from.

Hast du deiner Schwester gehört?

Have you heard from your sister?

To hear from someone is von + Dativ: von deiner Schwester hören. When the source is a person, use von.

Ich träume einem Haus am Meer.

I dream of a house by the sea.

träumen von — to dream of. The verb carries its preposition: von etwas träumen.

Which one is wrong?

Your home country needs aus; von is for coming back from an activity or a person: von der Arbeit · vom Arzt.

“Ich komme von der Türkei.” is correct for saying you are from Turkey.

False. To say where you are from, you always use aus: aus der Türkei.

Der Brief wurde Anna geschrieben.

The letter was written by Anna.

von. In passive sentences the person who carries out the action is attached with the preposition von.

Build the sentence: My father’s car

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

In everyday speech you show possession with von + Dativ instead of the Genitiv.
Quick rules

The rules in three lines

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  1. von = from a person or an activity

    vom Arzt · von Anna · von der Arbeit. Coming out of the inside of a place is aus; the word for a source is von.

    Ich komme von der Arbeit.

  2. von + Dativ, contracted to vom

    von + dem = vom: vom Arzt · vom Bahnhof.

    Ich komme vom Arzt.

  3. Possession: von + Dativ

    In speech, instead of the Genitiv: das Auto von meinem Vater. Ranges use von … bis: von Montag bis Freitag.

    das Auto von meinem Vater

  4. In the passive, the doer takes von

    von Anna geschrieben · vom Chef unterschrieben. For an intermediary or a means, it is usually durch.

    Der Brief wurde von Anna geschrieben.

Traps

Commonly mixed up

Where a direct translation breaks. The hard questions come from here.

  • Ich komme von der Türkei.

    Ich komme aus der Türkei.

    Your home country needs aus.

  • Ich komme aus dem Arzt.

    Ich komme vom Arzt.

    Coming back from a person is von.

  • von meinen Vater das Auto

    das Auto von meinem Vater

    von takes the Dativ: meinem.

  • Der Brief wurde durch Anna geschrieben.

    Der Brief wurde von Anna geschrieben.

    The PERSON who does the action takes von.