Genau
Topic test · A1

Prepositions test

22questions
13minutes
60%pass mark
Start the test Read the topic first

One question at a time, the clock runs. Answers stay closed like a real exam: you see every correct answer with its explanation at the end. Score 60% to finish the topic.

Topic test

22 questions, easy to hard

Pick an option and press «Next». You can go back and change it. Anything left blank counts as wrong.

Das Geschenk ist dich.

The present is for you.

für. dich is Akkusativ, so you need one of the Akkusativ prepositions. mit · von · bei all take Dativ (mit dir).

Ich fahre mit Bus.

I go by bus.

dem. mit always takes Dativ; der Bus becomes dem Bus in the Dativ.

I’m going to Turkey.

I’m going to Turkey.

in die Türkei. die Türkei is a country with an article → in + Akkusativ. nach only works with countries without an article (nach Deutschland).

I’m going to the doctor’s.

I’m going to the doctor’s.

zum Arzt. You go to people and institutions with zu; zu dem contracts to zum. There is no article-less form zu Arzt.

I have been living here for two years.

I have been living here for two years.

seit zwei Jahren. A situation that is still going takes seit, and plural Dativ adds -n. für zwei Jahre means two years ahead — a period that hasn’t started yet.

I’m at home.

I’m at home.

zu Hause. Position is zu Hause, direction is nach Hause. Both are set phrases — Haus takes no article here, so don’t go hunting for a rule.

Wir gehen Kino. (to the cinema)

We’re going to the cinema.

ins. There is movement → in + Akkusativ → in das = ins. With im Kino you would be saying “I’m at the cinema”.

Ich gehe den Park. (I’m walking through the park)

I’m walking through the park.

durch. Going through something is expressed with durch, one of the five core Akkusativ prepositions: für · ohne · durch · gegen · um.

Ich komme der Arbeit.

I’m coming from work.

von. If you are returning from an activity or from a person, it’s von. aus is coming out of an enclosed space: Ich komme aus dem Büro.

Das Bild hängt an Wand.

The picture is hanging on the wall.

der. hängen states a position here → wo? → Dativ. die Wand is der Wand in the Dativ. If it were the act of hanging: Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand.

Ich fahre Berlin. (preposition)

I’m going to Berlin.

nach. Cities and countries without an article take nach. The rule boils down to three: place without an article → nach, place with an article → in + Akkusativ, person/institution → zu.

Ich bin meiner Schwester. (I’m at my sister’s)

I’m at my sister’s.

bei. Being at someone’s place is bei. zu is direction: Ich gehe zu meiner Schwester. — you are on your way, not there yet.

Ich stelle die Flasche den Tisch.

I’m putting the bottle on the table.

auf. The other three options are Dativ prepositions; the sentence has den Tisch, which is Akkusativ, so only a two-way preposition can fit. The article tells you which preposition — reading it backwards works too.

Ich arbeite Montag bis Freitag.

I work from Monday to Friday.

von. A span with a start and an end is built with von … bis …. seit describes something that started in the past and is still going; it takes no end point.

Wir sitzen dem Tisch.

We’re sitting at the table.

an. If you sit at the table, it’s an dem Tisch (by its edge). auf dem Tisch would mean sitting on top of the table.

Ich mache das dich.

I’m doing this for you.

für. Before picking an option, look at the pronoun: dich is Akkusativ. If it were Dativ it would read dir, and you would choose among zu · bei · von. The pronoun tells you which group to search.

Ich gehe Schule. (I’m going to school)

I’m going to school.

in die Schule. The most common mistake is in der Schule — but that says “I’m at school”. gehen asks for a destination, so Akkusativ is needed.

Ich warte den Bus.

I’m waiting for the bus.

auf. Here auf doesn’t show a place — warten auf is a fixed verb-preposition pair and always takes Akkusativ. The wohin/wo question doesn’t work with these; you learn them as a pair.

What makes the difference between Ich gehe ins Kino and Ich bin im Kino?

I’m going to the cinema / I’m at the cinema.

The verb decides. in is one preposition; ins = in das (Akkusativ), im = in dem (Dativ). Same word, different case — and what picks the case is gehen versus sein.

Why is “to Germany” nach Deutschland, but “to Turkey” in die Türkei?

To Germany / to Turkey.

The article decides. Most countries have no article → nach. For the handful that do, it’s in + Akkusativ: die Türkei · die Schweiz · die USA · der Iran. The list is short; memorise it.

The prepositions “mit” and “nach” are always used with Akkusativ.

False. The prepositions mit and nach always take Dativ.

Build the sentence: I’m buying a present for my brother.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

für always takes Akkusativ, so it’s meinen Bruder, not mein Bruder.
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. Learn two lists, solve the rest with a question

    Five prepositions always take Akkusativ, nine always take Dativ — no arguing, you memorise them. The remaining nine change depending on the situation.

    für · ohne · durch · gegen · um ↔ mit · nach · bei · seit · von · zu · aus

  2. For the two-way ones, ask: wohin or wo?

    With the nine two-way prepositions, what decides is not movement but the destination: heading to a place means Akkusativ, staying in a place means Dativ.

    ins Kino (wohin?) · im Kino (wo?)

  3. Contraction isn’t compulsory, but it is what sounds natural

    Preposition and article very often shrink into one word. The spelled-out form isn’t counted wrong; it’s just that nobody talks like that.

    in dem → im · zu der → zur · an das → ans

Traps

Commonly mixed up

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

  • Ich gehe in der Schule.

    Ich gehe in die Schule.

    gehen asks for a destination → Akkusativ. in der Schule means “I’m at school”.

  • Ich gehe nach dem Arzt.

    Ich gehe zum Arzt.

    You go to people and institutions with zu. nach is only for place names without an article.

  • Ich fahre zu Berlin.

    Ich fahre nach Berlin.

    Cities and countries without an article take nach. zu would treat the place like an institution.

  • Ich bin seit zwei Jahre hier.

    Ich bin seit zwei Jahren hier.

    Two rules at once: seit takes Dativ and plural Dativ adds -n to the noun.