German Accusative Prepositions List: 10 Key Words

The german accusative prepositions list includes the prepositions that always require the accusative case, such as durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis and entlang, and you can master them with clear rules and short practice drills.

Which prepositions always take the accusative case?

German has a short, fixed set of prepositions that never switch to another case. Memorising them is the first step to avoiding case errors.

• durch (through) – Ich gehe durch den Wald (I walk through the forest).
• für (for) – Das Geschenk ist für dich (The gift is for you).
• gegen (against) – Er kämpft gegen den Wind (He fights against the wind).
• ohne (without) – Wir fahren ohne Karte (We travel without a map).
• um (around, at) – Wir treffen uns um den Bahnhof (We meet around the station).
• bis (until, up to) – Sie arbeitet bis acht Uhr (She works until eight o’clock).
• entlang (along) – Er läuft den Fluss entlang (He runs along the river).

These seven prepositions are the core of the german accusative prepositions list. Adding them to your daily word‑of‑the‑day routine helps them stick.

How do I know when a preposition uses the accusative?

The key is to ask whether the preposition expresses a direction or a change of location. If you can answer the question "Wohin?" (where to?), the accusative is required.

Example: Ich gehe (I go) nach Berlin – no preposition, but the movement triggers accusative with "nach" (which is dative, but the verb forces accusative for the object). With a preposition, the pattern is clearer: Ich fahre durch die Stadt (I drive through the city). The word "durch" always demands the accusative, regardless of the noun’s gender.

When the same preposition can be either accusative or dative (e.g., "in", "an", "auf"), the direction test decides. For pure accusative prepositions, the test is unnecessary – they never change.

What are common mistakes with accusative prepositions?

Even intermediate learners slip up. The most frequent errors are:

1. Using the dative article after an accusative preposition (e.g., "*dem Park" instead of "*den Park").
2. Confusing "für" (for) with "von" (from) – the latter is dative.
3. Leaving out the preposition entirely and relying on word order, which can change the meaning.
4. Mixing up "entlang" placement: it can appear after the noun ("den Fluss entlang") or before ("entlang den Fluss"). Both are correct, but the article must stay accusative.

Practice each mistake with a short sentence from our everyday phrases tool and correct it instantly.

How to practice accusative prepositions today

Follow this 5‑step mini‑routine and you will see improvement within a single study session.

1. Write down the german accusative prepositions list on a flashcard.
2. Pick a noun of each gender (der, die, das) and combine it with every preposition: durch den Park, für die Freundin, gegen das Auto, etc.
3. Read each phrase aloud, paying attention to the article ending – -en for masculine, -e for feminine, -es for neuter.
4. Use the listen‑and‑repeat tool to hear native pronunciation and repeat immediately.
5. Write five original sentences about your day, inserting at least three different accusative prepositions. Check them with a partner or the German Buddy correction feature.

Practice accusative prepositions with German Buddy

German Buddy lets you type or speak your sentences and receive a gentle correction that highlights the correct article and offers a more natural phrasing. Start with the sentences from the routine above, and the app will point out any case errors instantly. start practising free – you get 7 days unlimited, then a free daily allowance that never runs out.

FAQ

Do all German prepositions belong to a fixed case?

No. Some, like "in" or "auf", can be accusative or dative depending on whether they indicate direction or location. Pure accusative prepositions, however, always require the accusative.

Is "entlang" always used after the noun?

Both positions are correct: "den Fluss entlang" and "entlang den Fluss". The article must stay accusative in either case.

Can I use the accusative prepositions with plural nouns?

Yes. The plural article "die" is the same for nominative, accusative, and dative, so the form does not change, but the preposition still governs the case.

How many accusative prepositions are there?

There are seven core ones: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, and entlang. Memorising these gives you a solid foundation for most everyday sentences.