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Topic test · A1

the preposition zu test

13questions
8minutes
60%pass mark
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Topic test

13 questions, easy to hard

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Translate: “I’m going to school.”

zur Schule. die Schule is feminine → dative der → zu der = zur.

Ich gehe Arzt.

I’m going to the doctor.

zum Arzt. der Arzt is masculine → dative dem → zu dem = zum.

Translate: “I’m going to Berlin.”

nach Berlin. You go to cities with nach. zu is only for people and institutions.

Translate: “I have no time for studying.”

zum Lernen. Once an infinitive becomes a noun it is neuter (das Lernen) and zu dem = zum contracts. It is written with a capital letter. zur is only for feminine nouns, and für never takes the dative.

Ich fahre Eltern. (to my parents’ place)

I’m going to my parents’.

zu meinen Eltern. There is no contraction in the plural; it happens only with a singular definite article.

What is the zu in “Das ist zu teuer”?

An adverb. When an adjective follows, zu means “more than enough” and does not ask for a case: zu teuer · zu spät · zu klein.

Translate: “I’m at home.”

zu Hause. A fixed phrase; it gives a location. For direction you use nach Hause.

Wie komme ich Bahnhof?

How do I get to the station?

When you ask the way to a place in town, you use zu: zum Bahnhof · zur Post. nach belongs to cities and countries; ins means in das, but der Bahnhof is masculine.

Ich gehe Post. (to the post office)

I’m going to the post office.

zu + der = zur (feminine) · zu + dem = zum (masculine/neuter). die Post → zur Post.

Was wünschst du dir Geburtstag?

What would you like as a birthday present?

Celebration phrases use zu: zum Geburtstag · zu Weihnachten. Congratulations work the same way: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! am Geburtstag only gives the time: “on your birthday”.

The sentence “Ich gehe zu dem Post.” is correct.

False. die Post is a feminine noun. In the dative it becomes der Post, and zu der contracts to zur: Ich gehe zur Post.

Kommst du zu ?

Are you coming to my place?

mir. zu doesn’t contract with personal pronouns; you use the dative pronoun.

Build the sentence: I have no time for studying.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

When an infinitive becomes a noun (das Lernen), zu + dem contracts to zum.
Quick rules

The rules in three lines

The full topic lives on its own page. This is only the core you need for the test.

  1. zu for people and institutions inside a town

    zum Bahnhof · zur Post · zum Arzt · zu meinen Eltern — station, institution, person. For a place you go inside it’s in + accusative; for a city or country it’s nach.

    Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?

  2. zum = zu dem · zur = zu der

    Masculine/neuter zum, feminine zur. zu always takes the dative.

    zur Schule · zum Arzt

  3. Fixed phrases

    zu Hause (at home) · zu Fuß (on foot) · zum Geburtstag (for/on your birthday) · Zeit zum Lernen (time for studying).

    Ich gehe zu Fuß.

  4. zu is not always a preposition

    Das ist zu teuer — here it is an adverb meaning “too”. zu lernen — part of an infinitive construction. Read its job from its place in the sentence.

    zu teuer · zu lernen

Traps

Commonly mixed up

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

  • Ich gehe nach dem Arzt.

    Ich gehe zum Arzt.

    You go to a person with zu.

  • Ich fahre zu Berlin.

    Ich fahre nach Berlin.

    You go to a city with nach; zu is for destinations inside a town.

  • Ich gehe zum Post.

    Ich gehe zur Post.

    die Post is feminine: zur.

  • Ich bin nach Hause.

    Ich bin zu Hause.

    Being at home is zu Hause; nach Hause only means going there.