Prepositions in German. Prepositions in German Prepositions used with Genetiv
In addition to groups of prepositions that are used only with the dative case or the accusative case or both, there is a group of prepositions that require the genitive case after themselves - Genitiv. Let's talk about them in more detail.
Genitive prepositions
Prepositions after which the genitive case is used include:
während- while, during
wegen- because of
trotz- despite
(an)statt- instead of
außerhalb- outside, beyond
innerhalb- inside, within
unweit- not far from
information- due to, due to, due to
One of the most used of the listed prepositions is the preposition "während". And remembering the required case after other prepositions is very easy: their Russian equivalents also require the genitive case.
Many prepositions after which it is necessary to use the genitive case are characteristic only of business correspondence or the language of jurisprudence: kraft(by virtue of), ungeachtet(regardless of), zugunsten(in favor), etc. We will not consider them in detail.
Don’t forget: masculine and feminine nouns have an ending in the genitive case -s.
Learning to use prepositions
Study some examples of the use of prepositions that require the genitive case after them:
Sie fehlen wegen der Krankheit.— They are absent due to illness.
Ich bin (an)statt mseines Bruders gekommen.- I came in place of my brother.
Außerhalb der Stadt haben sie ein Landhaus.— They have a house outside the city.
Wegen des kalten Wassers konnten wir nicht baden.“We couldn’t swim because of the cold water.”
Er kam trotz seiner Arbeit.— He came despite work.
Prepositions in this group have a peculiarity: if a preposition is used with a plural noun without an article or adjective or pronoun, it is recommended to use the dative case. Also in these cases the preposition von may appear.
Compare:
1. Während dieser Woche habe ich viel Arbeit gemacht.— After the preposition, the genitive case is used, because the noun is singular and there is a demonstrative pronoun before it.
2. Während 10 Tagen muss ich viel machen.— Since there is no adjective, article, or pronoun before the noun, the dative case is used: talk about this ending -n.
3. Mit Hilfe von Werkzeugen kann ich das machen.— The noun has nothing to express the genitive case (there is neither an article nor an adjective), a preposition is added von.
After prepositions dank(thanks) and laut(according to) you can use both the genitive and dative cases:
dank seiner Hilfe– thanks to his help;
laut dem/des Plan/es- according to plan.
Do you remember everything? Then it's time to test yourself!
Lesson assignments
Exercise 1. Use the correct case.
1. Er arbeitet während (die Woche). 2. Infolge (der Regen) sagten sie das Splielen ab. 3. Sie wohnt unweit (die Schule). 4. Trotz (alle Schwierigkeiten) gewinnt er. 5. Wegen (die Krankheit) kann er nich mitfahren. 6. Es gibt ein Dorf außerhalb (der Wald).
Exercise 2. Insert the necessary preposition.
1. … des films gab es viel Reklame. 2. Er hat einen Apfel...der Schokolade gegessen. 3. Mein Freund wohnt...der Stadt. 4. … der Universität gibt es ein gutes Café. 5. … der Hitze arbeiten wir viel. 6. Ich rufe...der Erklärung.
Answer 1.
1. der Woche 2. des Regens 3. der Schule 4. aller Schwierigkeiten 5. der Krankheit 6. des Walds
Answer 2.
1. während 2. statt 3. außerhalb 4. unweit 5. trotz 6. wegen
The idea to write this text appeared exactly a bunch of years ago, when, after one Christmas event, I heard a phrase from my work colleague that confused me. “ Wegen mir können wir schon fahren “,” he said and, without knowing it or wanting to, plunged me into thought. The phrase “Because of me we can already go” did not fit into my ideas about cause-and-effect relationships - until I remembered that wegen world- this is nothing more than a colloquial form meinetwegen .
“Meinetwegen können wir schon fahren - as for me, then we can already go.” The phrase finally made sense, and at the same time there was a reason to look into Duden upon returning home. And since meinetwegen is just a special case among the whole diversity of the scope of application of the preposition wegen, I then plunged into such a jungle of German grammar that I risked developing linguistic toxicosis.
Whether it’s long or short, but the problems of correct use of prepositions wegen(because of, thanks to) more and more often went beyond the rules “ wegen+genitiv“, which finally made me pick up the keyboard.
Weswegen?
Pretext "because of” wears a shade acquittal-indictment, and for some individuals it even becomes part of their life philosophy:
Yes I because of I've ruined your whole life for myself! I because of The alarm clock was late. Because of your laziness The trash can is blooming! This is all because of my wife- she herself suggested “only over my corpse.” (“We have arrived from the corner” is not a suitable example in this case. - approx. author).
The German language also has this extremely useful preposition - wegen :
Er hat sie wegen ihrer großen Augen geheiratet.
According to Duden, the preposition wegen is followed by a noun in Genitiv: wegen des Regens, wegen der Krankheit, wegen des großen Erfolges, wegen der engen Lebensräume, wegen seiner langen Abwesenheit usw.
By the way, the easiest way to remember the rule is that the preposition wegen requires the Genitiv case, if you pay attention to the “petrified” constructions weswegen(why, wherefore) and deswegen(That's why). Wes- and des- clearly indicate Genitiv: des_wegen = wegen des (because of this, i.e. therefore)…
Everything seems to be simple and clear:
wegen+genitiv
Then where do such masterpieces come from, you ask?
“Kein Zugang wegen defekt em Tor” - the sign informs random passers-by. The ending of the adjective here indicates that the author of this text chose the Dativ case (and ignored the article). “ Umgangssprachlich” - Duden objects to this, - “und im geschriebenen Standarddeutsch nicht korrekt“ . Those. In written speech, the Dativ case after the preposition wegen is unacceptable.
In colloquial speech wegen + dativ you can hear quite often: wegen d e n vilen Besuchern (due to the large number of visitors) ,wegende m Schlechten Wetter (due to bad weather) ,wegende m Hund (because of the dog) (compare with Genitiv: wegen der vielen Besucher, wegen des schlechten Wetters, wegen des Hundes).
However, there are still half a million exceptions where even Duden recognizes Dativ in combination with the preposition wegen as legal and, moreover, preferable.
1. Wegen Urlaub geschlossen
If after the preposition wegen there is strong noun* in the singular without an article and without an attribute (adjective) - in one word, “adyn, savsem adyn”, then Dativ is used much more often, simplifying the entire construction:
wegen Umbau gesperrt(less often wegen Umbau s
) - closed due to renovation work,
Wegen Motorschaden(less often Wegen Motorschaden s
) - due to damage to the motor,
wegen Überfall- due to an attack,
wegen Mord angeklagt(but among lawyers - Wegen Mordes) - (by reason of murder) accused of murder,
wegen Irrtum(wegen Irrtum s
) - by mistake,
wegen immobilienskandal
- in connection with a real estate scandal.
* Strong nouns are almost all masculine and neuter nouns, with some exceptions. Exceptions include so-called nouns. weak declension, which are declined “wrongly”: der Hase - dem/des Hasen, der Herr - dem/des Herren, der Student - dem/des Studenten etc.
It couldn't be simpler: after the preposition wegen“naked” noun stands in the dative case, although these nouns look as if they are Nominativ. In the case of weak declension nouns, this number does not work - in Genitiv, Akkusativ and Dativ they have the ending (e)n: wegen eines Studenten . Those. wegen Student - that would be wrong!!
Why are no feminine nouns mentioned here, attentive readers will ask. After all, the expressions “wegen Trunkenheit”, “wegen Körperverletzung”, “wegen Verwechslung”, “wegen Rente”, etc. are quite correct. It's simple. Feminine nouns in Dativ and Genitiv look the same - the case is “given away” by the article or attribute: wegen sein er schnellen Reaktion, wegen de r Verspätung, wegen deiner Studentin . Therefore, if feminine nouns appear after the preposition wegen without an article or attribute, then they still do not violate the rules “ wegen+genitiv “!
If you don’t delve into these Duden details, then the rule is easiest to formulate and remember using an example “Wegen Urlaub”. And what case the noun is in is worth thinking about only when an article, attribute or noun of weak declension appears.
2. Wegen Geschäfte n verreist
Actually, based on the rule wegen+genitiv, the phrase should have sounded “ wegen Geschäfte“, but for some reason the ending appears here en“, which desperately hints to us about Dativ. Why on earth? - any beginner learning German will be indignant and will be right in his own way.
The trick is that Genitiv is a case with delusions of grandeur and loves “recognition,” which is expressed in the instant ability to recognize this very Genitiv. If for some reason this is not obvious in the sentence (after all, a noun in the plural and without an article looks the same in Nominativ, Akkusativ, and Genitiv), then Genitiv in one form or another immediately gives way to Dativ. Moreover, the Genitiv case often adheres to this principle:
das Gehalt ein es Geschäftsführer s(Genitiv, Singular)
Gehälter einiger Geschäftsführer (still Genitiv, Plural)
Gehalter von Geschäftsführern- here we are not talking about any specific company leaders, so the article is zero. And since there is no article, then there is no “pointer” to Genitiv, so it leaves the stage, giving way to the construction “ von + Dativ“. If we were talking about already famous people, then the definite article would appear, and therefore Genitiv: Gehalter d er Geschäftsführer
.
The same thing happens with “ wegen Geschäfte” - the noun itself in this case does not indicate the presence of Genitiv, so its place is taken by Dativ:
wegen Geschäfte n
(But wegen dringend er Geschäfte
),
wegen Regenfalle n
(But wegen stark er Regenfälle
).
To be fair, it must be said that the form wegen Regenfalle(i.e. Genitiv) by duden is not considered incorrect - only very rarely used, and therefore clumsy. This is good because it allows beginners to get by with just one rule.” wegen+genitiv” and still remain within the acceptable rules.
3. Wegen Annas tollem Auto
“Horses and people are mixed together,” the reader, tired of this tediousness, will say. In this construction, Genitiv and Dativ “walk together in a row” and bring a beginner to learn German to complete delight and despair. However, this design is not as complicated as it seems.
Wegen meines Bruders großem Erfolg - in this specific example, all you need to do is express the idea of my brother's great success:
Initially it means: großer Erfolg meines Bruders (my brother's great success) = meines Bruders großer Erfolg (my brother is a great success).
Now add wegen:
wegen des groß en Erfolges meines Bruders
(thanks to my brother's great success) = wegen meines Bruders großem Erfolg
(thanks to my brother's great success).
While the first option in Russian sounds much clearer and more elegant, in German the second option is preferable, where instead of two Genitivs in a row, this cumbersome and overwhelming construction for the German ear is “lightened” by Dativ:
Wegen mein es Vaters neuem Auto (because of my father's new car) = wegen d es neuen Autos meines Vaters .
Good news: two Genitives in a row are also acceptable:
Wegen Marias Kurz em Kleid
(thanks to Maria's short dress) = wegen Maria s Kurzen Kleides
(two Genitivs).
wegen Annas gutem Rat(thanks to Anna's good advice) = wegen Anna s guten Rates
((two Genitiv).
Another good news is that all these jumbles of cases can, as a rule, be formulated quite painlessly in a simpler way: wegen des guten Rates, den Anna mir gegeben hat (thanks to the good advice Anna gave me).
Marias wegen
Pretext wegen can “jump” around a noun like a bad goat - can stand in front of it ( wegen Marias- because of Maria), or maybe after him ( Marias wegen ):
Wegen meines kranken Kindes musste ich zu Hause bleiben. Because of my sick child, I had to stay home.
“Aber des Kindes wegen, auf das ich wartete, begann alles sich für mich zu verändern“. But thanks to the child I was expecting (carrying), everything began to change for me (I. Bachmann). A beautiful literary option.
In the case when the pretext wegen follows the noun, noun always stands in Genitiv !
Life position “wegen dir”
Life forms following the philosophy “ it's all because of you/him“, have been known to each of us since kindergarten, when two preschoolers who were put in a corner (for attempting to escape to the North Pole) cannot come to a common opinion - one claims that “we were put in a corner because of that we were running slowly,” and the other proves that “they put us in a corner because of you - it's you I wanted to ride penguins!” .
Phrase “wegen dir” is considered acceptable only in colloquial speech - the correct option is the construction “ deinetwegen“:
meinetwegen- because of me, thanks to me, as for me.
deinetwegen- because of you,…
ihretwegen- because of her, because of them,...
uns(e)retwegen(unsertwegen) - because of us...
euretwegen(euertwegen) - because of you,…
Wegen uns können Sie ruhig weiter schlafen . - As for us, you can continue to sleep peacefully. A phrase overheard in a movie theater (while watching Sex & the City, the man began to snore softly..).
By the way, please note that in the colloquial version “wegen world” the pronoun is not in Genitiv, but in Dativ (mir). “Correct” phrase “ wegen meiner” is still found, but is considered very outdated.
Idioms with wegen
...Is there anyone else alive here? Then here are a couple more idioms for you:
“Von wegen!” - no matter how it is, not at all, you can’t wait!
Glaubst du, er hat mir was geschenkt? Von wegen! Nicht einmal angerufen hat er!
Do you think he gave me anything? And here are the figurines! He never even called!
Von Rechts wegen(abbr. V.R.W.) - actually, in fairness, by right, by law, in fact.
Von Rechts wegen sollte das Geld schon auf dem Konto sein.
In fact, the money should already be in the account.
... That’s what I wish for all of you in the new year!
A preposition is an auxiliary part of speech, and at first glance its role is insignificant. But if you look at the use of prepositions and conjunctions, it becomes clear that without them it would be difficult to convey the meaning of speech. These parts of speech can indicate different places or times, and be used with place names and other variations of nouns. Knowing how to use prepositions correctly means being able to structure your speech correctly.
Using prepositions dual control
Each preposition in German is used with a specific case - nominative , dative, genitive, accusative. In order to learn how to use prepositions correctly, you need to spend a certain amount of time learning them all. In order not to get confused, it is best to do this in parts, moving from one case to another. In German there are prepositions that simultaneously control two cases - Dativ - Genitiv:
| Pretext | Example |
| dank | Dank meinen zahlreichen Freunden (D.) / meiner zahlreichen Freunde (G.) habe ich sämtliche Hindernisse schnell überwunden. – Thanks to my many friends, I quickly overcame all difficulties (the dative case is used here). |
| gemäss | Gemass dem Vertrag (D.) / des Vertrages (G.) schicken wir unsere Fachleute nach England. – In accordance with the contract, we will send our specialists to England (the dative case is used here). |
| laut | Laut dem Abkommen (D.) / des Abkommens (G.) wird er zum Vorstandsvorsitzenden ernannt.- According to the contract (agreement), he is appointed chairman of the board. |
| trotz | Trotz den günstigen Preisen (D.) / der günstigen Preise (G.)haben wir nichts gekauft. – Despite the favorable prices, we didn’t buy anything. |
Prepositions that are used only in Akkusativ
The easiest way to learn prepositions is when there is a table with examples and their translation.
| Pretext | Translation | Example |
| bis | before | Der Zug fährt bis Köln. The train goes to Cologne. |
| durch | Through/via | Sie fahren durch die Türkei. They are traveling through Turkey. |
| entlang | Along/during | Wir fahren die Küste entlang. We are driving along the coast. |
| für | For/for something | Er braucht das Geld für seine Miete. He needs money to pay rent. |
| gegen | Against/in | Das Auto fuhr gegen einen Baum. The car drove into a tree. |
| ohne | without | Ohne Brille kann ich nichts sehen. I can't see anything without glasses. |
| um | Near/around (about time) | Wir sind um die Kirche (herum) gegangen. We walked around the church. Die Besprechung beginnt um 13.00 Uhr. The meeting starts at 13.00. |
| wider | Despite/against | Wider das Recht. Against the law. Against the right. Wider die Natur. Against nature |
Prepositions used only in Dativ - including, temporary
These prepositions also include prepositions of place and direction:
| Whoa? (Where?) |
Wo? (Where?) |
Woher? where? |
|
| continents, countries, cities |
nach Australian early Belgium early Berlin |
in Australia in Belgium in Berlin |
aus Australian aus Belgium aus Berlin |
| closed places (conditional) |
ins Zimmer in die Schule in den Wald |
im Zimmer in der Schule im Wald |
aus dem Zimmer aus der Schule aus dem Wald |
| open places (conditional) |
auf die Insel auf die Straße zum Platz zum Bahnhof zum Markt |
auf der Insel auf der Straße auf dem Platz am Bahnhof auf dem Markt |
von der Insel von der Straße vom Platz vom Bahnhof vom Markt |
| People | zum Arzt zu world |
beim Arzt bei world |
vom Arzt |
| bodies of water, shores reservoirs |
ans Meer an den Strand zum Fluss ans Ufer |
am Meer am Strand am Fluss am Ufer |
vom Meer vom Strand vom Fluss vom Ufer |
Prepositions used with Genetiv
| Pretext | Translation | Example |
| außerhalb | Beyond/beyond/beyond/outside | Außerhalb der Stadt gibt es viel Wald. - There is a large forest outside the city. |
| innerhalb | within/within/within/within | Bitte bezahlen Sie die Rechnung innerhalb einer Woche. – Please pay the bill within a week. Der Hund kann sich innerhalb der Wohnung befinden. – The dog can be in the apartment. |
| laut | in accordance with.../according to something/according to | Laut einer Studie sind nur 50% der Deutschen glücklich. – According to a study, only 50% of Germans are happy. |
| mithilfe | With the help/assistance | Mithilfe eines Freundes gelang ihm die Flucht. – Thanks to the help of friends, he managed to escape. |
| statt | Instead of something | Statt eines Blumenstrausses verschenkte er ein altes Buch. – Instead of a bouquet of flowers, he gave an old book. |
| trotz | despite/despite | Trotz einer schlechten Leistung bestand er die Prüfung. – Despite his poor performance, he passed the exam. |
| während | during something/during something/in the process | Während seines Studiums lernte er Englisch. – During his studies at the institute, he learned English. |
| wegen | because of/as a result of something | Wegen eines Unglücks hatte der Zug Verspätung. — The train was late due to an accident. |
Completing the exercises should be mandatory for everyone who has set a goal to learn the language thoroughly. Some people neglect to complete them, believing that it is quite enough to simply understand the topic and learn the basic provisions - words, rules, endings, etc. Only exercises – written and oral – will help you consolidate your knowledge of the topic. Try to have your work reviewed by a teacher, either in person or online.
When studying cases (pad.) in the German language, the Genitive is often not given due attention, since in modern spoken language it is used quite rarely; its replacement with the Dative pad. is very common, as Bastian Sick wrote in detail in his book (Bastian Sick. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod). At the same time, it would be a big mistake not to study it at all, citing the possibility of replacing it with constructions with the Dative Case, since in written speech it is used quite actively, and even if you strive to speak correctly, in a literary language, it is necessary to know it.
Since cases in German are expressed using articles, let us recall their forms in the Genitive case.
Indefinite articles:
| m.r. | w.r. | s.r. | |
| Nominative | ein | eine | ein |
| Genitiv | eines | einer | eines |
Definite articles:
| m.r. | w.r. | s.r. | plural | |
| Nominative | der | die | das | die |
| Genitiv | des | der | des | der |
The most common use of the Genitive. in German, as in Russian, in constructions noun (noun) + noun (usually with the meaning of belonging): das Auto meines Mannes (my husband’s car), der Mann meiner Tochter (my daughter’s husband), die Kleider des Kindes (child's clothes), das Haus meiner Eltern (my parents' house). Such nouns answer whose question? whose? whose? whose? (wessen?). In colloquial everyday speech they can be replaced with von + Dativ constructions: das Auto von meinem Mann, der Mann von meiner Tochter, etc. This can be heard especially often in the south of Germany.
Strictly speaking, noun phrases are not always + noun denote belonging, they can also have other meanings: die Arbeit der Lehrerin (teacher’s work), Hilfe des älteren Bruders (elder brother’s help) - the source of action, die Untersuchung des Patienten (patient examination), die Renovierung der Wohnung (apartment renovation) - object of action, der Wagon zweiter Klasse (second class carriage), Speisen der besten Qualität (high quality kitchen) – property, quality of an object, etc. The most important thing is to remember that the second noun. stands, as a rule, in the Genitive.
ATTENTION! Despite the fact that the structures are noun. + noun in Russian and German they are used according to a general principle; there are some differences. So, we say a glass of wine (what? - R.p.), a cup of tea (R.p.), a liter of beer (R.p.). The Germans in such cases use 2 Nominative cases: ein Glas Wein, eine Tasse Tee, ein Liter Bier.
When using Genitiv (Genitive) in German, you need to be very careful when forming the masculine and neuter forms: they usually take on the endings –s (-es), as you may have already noticed in the examples above: Geburtstag meines Vater s(my father's birthday), das Handy ihres Freunde s(her friend's mobile phone), das Zimmer ihres Kinde s(their child's room), die Puppe des Mädchen s(girl doll).
The ending –es is added to:
- monosyllabic nouns: das Kind – des Kindes, das Bild – des Bildes, der Sohn – des Sohnes, der Tag – des Tages, etc.
- nouns ending in ss, - ß, - tz, - x and - z: der Bus- des Buses, der Fluss - des Flusses, der Arzt - des Arztes, der Komplex - des Komplexes, der Platz - des Platzes. ATTENTION! At noun. with the ending –nis the s is doubled: das Ergebnis – des Ergebnisses, das Verständnis – des Verständnisses, das Zeugnis – des Zeugnisses, etc.
- noun with stress on the last syllable: der Erfolg –des Erfolges, etc.
In other cases, as a rule, the ending -s is used, but do not forget about the weak declension of nouns (n-Deklination) - nouns of this declension acquire the ending -en (as in all other pads): der Mensch – des Menschen, der Russe - des Russen, der Hase - des Hasen, etc.
Proper names also acquire the ending –s, regardless of gender, but the noun is in the Genitive. precedes the noun in the Nominative:
Das ist Manuelas Fahrrad. - This is Manuela's bike.
Peters Auto ist kaputt. – Peter’s car broke down.
Ich habe FrauReiners Pass gefunden. – I found Frau Rainer’s passport.
If a proper name ends in s, - tz, - x or z, then the letter is Genitive. denoted by an apostrophe:
Max' Heft liegt auf dem Tisch. – Max’s notebook is on the table.
Hans' Mutter kommt nächste Woche. – Hans’s mother will arrive next week.
Fritz' Kinder spielen mit meinen zusammen. – Fritz’s children play with mine.
There is also an obsolete form Fritzens, Hansens, but it is rarely used. In oral speech, the use of such phrases is undesirable; it is more advisable to replace them with constructions with the preposition von + Dativ: das Heft von Max, die Mutter von Hans, die Kinder von Fritz...
In addition, this form is preferable when using plural nouns. Since in the plural the word itself does not acquire any ending, the case meaning is expressed only by the article. There are no problems when using nouns with the definite article: die Sachen der Kinder (the things of (these) children), die Kleider der Frauen (the dresses of (these) women), die Werke der Kü nstler (the works of (these) artists). But such phrases are correct and possible when talking about specific children, women and artists. If we speak in general, without referring to specific people or objects, then we cannot use the definite article; In such cases, the Dative case also does not help. with the preposition von: Sachen von Kindern, Kleider von Frauen, Werke von Künstlern .
If the word is accompanied by an adjective or pronoun, then they express the Genitive. with their endings: Sachen kleiner Kinder (things of small children), die Kleider junger Frauen (dresses of young women), die Werke berühmterKünstler (works of famous artists).
Genitiv (Genitive case) in German is used not only in the phrases described above, there are a number of verbs and adjectives that require this case form after themselves.
So, for example, the verbs bedürfen (need, demand), harren (wait impatiently), gedenken (remember, remember), bezichtigen (accuse, incriminate), beschuldigen (accuse), verweisen (send, expel), würdigen (accuse), sich rühmen (boast), sich erfreuen (take advantage of), sich entledigen (get rid of), sich befleißigen (try, strive), sich bedienen (take advantage), sich erbarmen (take pity), sich schämen (be ashamed), sich annehmen (take care, to look after), sich versichern (to provide for oneself, to secure) require an object in the Genitive.
Er rühmt sich seines Sieges im Boxkampf. – He brags about his victory in a boxing match.
Leider erfreue ich mich keiner besten Gesundheit. – Unfortunately, I am not in good health.
Ich muss mich erst seiner Hilfe versichern. “I need to get his support first.”
Der Berühmte russische Schriftsteller A. Solschenizyn wurde der USSR verwiesen. – The famous Russian writer A. Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the USSR.
Some adjectives are also used with an object in the Genitive case, for example: unkundig (not knowledgeable, not in the know), verdächtig (suspected, suspected), bewusst (aware, aware) mächtig (possessing), (un)würdig ((not )worthy), überdrüssig (to bother).
Er ist des Lebens ganz unkundig. “He doesn’t know life at all.”
Fast jeder Schüler ist der Schule zum Schulabschluss total überdrüssig. – Almost every student gets bored with school by the end of it.
Er war der Börsenmachenschaften verdächtig, seine Schuld aber wurde nicht bewiesen. – He was suspected of stock exchange fraud, but his guilt was not proven.
However, the above verbs and adjectives appear with the Genitive. in writing, usually in a high (upbeat or solemn) style and are considered obsolete forms. In everyday speech they can be used with various prepositions (their meaning does not change).
Considering the Genitiv (Genitive case) in the German language, it is necessary to dwell on a whole group of prepositions that also require the Genitive case after themselves. This group is very numerous: abseits (aside from), anhand (with help), angesichts (in view of), anlässlich (on occasion, about), anstatt (instead of, in return), anstelle (instead of), aufgrund (due to, for a reason), außerhalb (outside, for), binnen (during, throughout), diesseits (on this side), gemäß (according to, in accordance with), halber (for the sake of, for, in view of), hinsichtlich (in relation to, regarding ), infolge (due to), inmitten (in the middle), innerhalb (inside, in), jenseits (on the other side), kraft (due to, based on), längs (along), laut (according to), mangels (for lack, for lack), mittels (through, with help), oberhalb (above, above), statt (instead of, in return), trotz (despite), um ... Willen (for the sake of, in the name of), ungeachtet (despite), unterhalb (under, below), unweit (not far from), vermittels (through, by), während (during), wegen (due to), zeit (throughout, during), zwecks (with the aim of, in order to so) and some others.
Aufgrund seines nachgewiesenen Alibis wurde der Verdächtige freigesprochen. – Due to a proven alibi, the suspect was released.
Ungeachtet vieler Streike hat die Unternehmensleitung über 100 Arbeitnehmer entlassen. – Despite many strikes, the company’s management fired more than 100 employees.
Der Chef hielt lange feierliche Rede anlässlich des Jubiläums unserer Firma. – The boss gave a long solemn speech on the occasion of the anniversary of our company.
Statt des Straftäters hat die Polizei das Opfer festgenommen. – Instead of the criminal, the police detained the victim.
The whole difficulty in using many prepositions from this list (for example, wegen, gemäß, laut, infolge, mittels, binnen, trotz) lies in the fact that in colloquial speech they can be used with the dative case. But the strict norms of the literary language still require Genitive, so if you want to express yourself correctly, you still have to master Genitiv. BUT! There is one more feature: when using these prepositions with nouns without an article or an adjective (or pronoun) in the plural (i.e. when there is no clear marker of the Genitive case), the norms of the literary language recommend using the Dative case. (in such constructions the preposition von may appear):
Mangels der überzeugenden Beweise (G.) musste die Polizei das Verfahren gegen ihn einstellen. “Due to a lack of convincing evidence, the police had to stop the investigation against him.
Mangels Beweisen (D.) musste die Polizei das Verfahren gegen ihn einstellen. – Due to lack of evidence, the police had to stop the investigation against him.
Angesichts der neuen Tatsachen forderte der Anwalt eine weitere Ermittlung. – Due to new circumstances, the lawyer requested an additional investigation.
Angesichts von 2 Millionen Arbeitslosen musste sich die Regierung um neue Arbeitsplätze kümmern. – In view of 2 million unemployed, the government had to take care of new jobs.
You can find many such examples, so when using these prepositions, do not be lazy to look in the dictionary once again to make sure that you have constructed the sentence correctly.
6.1. You already know prepositions that require Akkusativ and Dativ, and now you will get acquainted with prepositions that always require Genitiv: wä hrend, wegen, auß erhalb, information, trotz, ungeachtet, unweit, statt etc. Get to know the meaning of these prepositions.
wä hrend- during
Während der Sommerferien - During the summer holidays we will go to Cologne.
fahren wir nach Köln.
wegen- because of, because of
Wegen der Kälte bleibe ich zu Hause - Because of the cold I stay at home.
This preposition can be used as a postposition, i.e. comes after the noun it refers to.
Der Kälte wegen bleibe ich zu Hause.
This preposition forms special forms with personal pronouns:
meinetwegen - because of me
deinetwegen - because of you
seinetwegen - because of him
auß erhalb- outside, behind
Er wohnt außerhalb der Stadt - He lives outside the city (outside the city)
information- as a result of something, in connection with something
Infolge des Unfalls liegt - Due to an accident, he lies in
er in der Klinik clinic.
trotz- in spite of, in spite of, in spite of, in spite of
Trotz des schlechten Wetters gehen - Despite the bad weather, we go for a walk.
ungeachtet- despite
Ungeachtet des Verbots geht er spazieren - Despite the ban, he goes for a walk.
Ungeachtet des Regens gehen - Despite the rain, they go to the park.
sie in den Park.
unweit- not far from, nearby
Unweit meines Hauses liegt ein Park. - There is a park not far from my house.
statt (anstatt) - instead of
Anstatt Blumen schenke ich - Instead of flowers I give you a record
dir eine Schallplatte.
Prepositions requiring Genitiv are used primarily in writing in formal business style.
NOTES! 1. If in a sentence two nouns must stand next to each otherGenitiv, then after prepositions:w ä hrend , trotz And statt can be usedDativ:
Trotz dem Rat des Vaters- Contrary to my father's advice, I will become a manager.
werde ich Manager.
2. Prepositionentlang - “along” can be used with 3 cases: withGenitivorDativbefore nouns and withAkkusativorDativafter a noun:
entlang des Weges
→ along the road
den Weg entlang
Sie gehen entlang des Weges -They are coming along roads.
Den(dem) Weg entlang wachsen Blumen. -Along roads grow trees.
Grammar exercises
1. Insert the appropriate personal pronouns into your answers.Akkusativ.
1. Hörst du mich? – Ja, ich höre… . 2.Er ist noch klein. Entschuldigen Sie... bitte. 3. Brauchst du mein Wörterbuch? – Ja, ich brauche…. 4. Deine Oma wohnt allein. Besuche...bald. 5. Wir helfen germ. Fragen Sie…. 6. Dieser Fisch schmeckt wunderbar. Probiere…. 7. Endlich seid ihr da. Ich begrüße…herzlich. 8. Deine Geschichte ist interessant. Erzähle… . 9. Sei ruhig! Ich fotografiere….10. Wer ist diese Frau? Ich kenne... nicht. 11. Wo seid ihr? Ich brauche….
2. Instead of dots, put the data in parentheses into the words inAkkusativand translate the sentences into Russian. Pay attention to the discrepancy between the control of the German verb and the Russian verb “to need”.
1. Ich brauche... (dieser Text). 2. Wer braucht... (ich). Ich comme bald. 3. Er braucht... (kein Obst), er mag es nicht. 4. Brauchst du… (meine Bücher)? 5. Wir brauchen... (ein Hund). 6. Ich weiß, ihr braucht... (ein Zimmer). 7. Ich brauche... (eure Schallplatte) nicht, ich habe schon eine. 8. Nimm bitte Platz, ich brauche... (du). 9. Besucht ihr... (eure Eltern), sie brauchen... (ihr). 10. Wann brauchen Sie... (wir)? Wir kommen um 6 Uhr nach Hause.
3. You came to visit and are presenting gifts. What are you saying?
1. Dieses Buch ist für… (du). 2. Kaugummi ist für... (unser Peter). 3. Die Schallplatten sind für... (eure Eltern). 4. Der Ball ist für... (dein Bruder). 5. Der Wein ist fur... (ihr Vater). 6. Das Cola ist für... (ihr), Kinder. 7. Der Kuchen ist für… (wir) alle. 8. Dieses Bild ist für… (der Neffe). 9. Das Wörterbuch ist für... (ihr Bruder).
4. Insert prepositions that make sense.
1. Die Kinder fahren...die Straße. 2. Wir fahren nur... Brest. 3. Dieses Cola ist … meinen Sohn. 4. Ich arbeite viel, das ist... mich wichtig. 5. Ich möchte ins Theater gehen. Bist du auch…das Theater? 6. Er kommt nicht mit. Er ist...das Theater. 7. Ich kenne diesen Roman. Hier geht es…den Kosmos. 8. Wir fahren nach Moskau… 3 weeks. Wir fahren aber … unsere Kinder, sie bleiben zu Hause.
5. Write down who has difficulty with languages.
1. Deutsch fällt (ich) schwer. 2. Russian fällt (er) schwer. 3. Englisch fällt (ihr) schwer. 4. Spanisch fällt (du) nicht leicht. 5. Besonders schwer fällt (er) Italienisch. 6. Chinesisch fällt (sie – she) schwer. 7. Tschechisch fällt (sie – they) nicht leicht. 8. Sehr schwer fällt (ihr) Mongolisch.
6. You hear a telephone conversation, but some words cannot be understood due to interference. These words – prepositions. Try it their restore.
Hello, Elke! Was machst du heute abend...dem Unterricht?
Ich gehe…meinem Freund Erich.
Bleibst du lange...ihm?
Etwa 2 Stunden. Wir übersetzen einen Brief. Der Brief ist … seinem ukrainischen Freund.
Spricht Erich gut Ukrainisch?
Nein, noch nicht gut. Er lernt es erst… 2 Monaten. Aber wir übersetzen … dem Wörterbuch.
Habt ihr ein gutes Wörterbuch?
Ja, Erich hat es … der Ukraine … seinem Freund. Er war voriges Jahr… Erich.
Kommst du auch… Erich?
Leider nicht. Ich helfe meinem Neffen … den Hausaufgaben. Er ist nicht besonders gut in der Schule.
Dann bis bald.
Auf Wiederhören.
7. Open the brackets to formGenitivthe given words.
1. Ich heiße Thomas Keller und bin Student an einem Institut. 2. Alle Studenten… (dieses Institut) studieren Fremdsprachen. 3. Mein Vater ist Arbeiter. Im Betrieb... (mein Vater) arbeiten 700 Arbeiter. 4. Meine Mutter arbeitet auch dort. Sie ist Ärztin in der Poliklinik… (dieser Betrieb). 5. Die Schule... (mein Bruder) ist in der Nähe... (unser Haus). 6. Ich kenne viele Lehrer... (diese Schule), denn das war auch meine Schule. 7. Meine Schwester geht in den Kindergarten. Das Gebäude... (ihr Kindergarten) ist auch nicht weit. 8. Ich kenne den Kindergarten... (meine Schwester) gut, denn ich hole sie oft ab.
8. Instead of dots, insert suitable prepositions that requireGenitiv. Prepositions are given at the bottom V parentheses.
1. … einer CD schenken ihm die Freunde eine Kassette. 2. … des Regens wird die Reise stattfinden. 3. …unserer Reise nach Dresden besuchen wir viele interessante Museen. 4. Du bleibst heute zu Hause…deiner Zwei in Physik. 5. Die Schule liegt... meines Hauses. 6. … des schlechten Wetters findet unsere Exkursion statt.
(während, unweit, statt, ungeachtet, trotz, wegen)
