Personal Pronouns in German
This section explains Personal Pronouns with Prepositions in German. In German, personal pronouns change depending on their case (nominative, accusative, or dative). When prepositions are used in a sentence, they can require either the accusative or dative case, and therefore the personal pronouns also change according to the case that the preposition demands.
Below are the personal pronouns for the nominative, accusative, and dative cases. It is important to know these as they will change based on the case required by the preposition.
Personal Pronouns – Nominative, Accusative, and Dative Cases
| Pronoun | Nominative | Accusative | Dative |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | ich | mich | mir |
| you (informal singular) | du | dich | dir |
| he | er | ihn | ihm |
| she | sie | sie | ihr |
| it | es | es | ihm |
| we | wir | uns | uns |
| you (informal plural) | ihr | euch | euch |
| you (formal) | Sie | Sie | Ihnen |
| they | sie | sie | ihnen |
Using Personal Pronouns with Prepositions
The choice of accusative or dative case depends on the preposition used in the sentence. Some prepositions always require the accusative case, some always require the dative case, and some can take either case (known as dual-case prepositions).
Prepositions that Use Accusative Case (with examples):
These prepositions require the accusative case for the personal pronouns.
- durch (through)
- für (for)
- gegen (against)
- ohne (without)
- um (around)
Examples with Accusative Prepositions:
- Ich gehe mit dich ins Kino.
(I am going with you to the cinema.)- dich is the accusative form of du.
- Er kauft das Geschenk für mich.
(He is buying the gift for me.)- mich is the accusative form of ich.
- Wir sind gegen sie.
(We are against them.)- sie is the accusative form of sie (they).
Prepositions that Use Dative Case (with examples):
These prepositions require the dative case for the personal pronouns.
- aus (from, out of)
- bei (at, with)
- mit (with)
- nach (after, to)
- seit (since, for)
- von (from, of)
- zu (to, at)
Examples with Dative Prepositions:
- Ich spreche mit dir.
(I am talking with you.)- dir is the dative form of du.
- Sie ist bei mir.
(She is at my place.)- mir is the dative form of ich.
- Er fährt mit uns nach Berlin.
(He is travelling with us to Berlin.)- uns is the dative form of wir.
- Wir gehen zu Ihnen.
(We are going to you [formal].)- Ihnen is the dative form of Sie (formal you).
Dual Case Prepositions (Accusative or Dative)
Some prepositions can take either the accusative or the dative case, depending on the context. They are used with the accusative when there is motion or movement and with the dative when there is location or position.
| Preposition | Accusative (motion) | Dative (location) |
|---|---|---|
| an (at, on) | Ich gehe an den Tisch. (I am going to the table.) | Ich bin an dem Tisch. (I am at the table.) |
| auf (on, onto) | Sie geht auf den Markt. (She is going to the market.) | Er ist auf dem Sofa. (He is on the sofa.) |
| hinter (behind) | Ich gehe hinter das Haus. (I am going behind the house.) | Sie ist hinter dem Haus. (She is behind the house.) |
| in (in, into) | Wir gehen in das Kino. (We are going to the cinema.) | Sie sind in der Schule. (They are at the school.) |
| neben (next to) | Ich stelle das Glas neben den Teller. (I am putting the glass next to the plate.) | Das Glas steht neben dem Teller. (The glass is next to the plate.) |
| über (over, above) | Er fliegt über den See. (He is flying over the lake.) | Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch. (The lamp is hanging above the table.) |
| unter (under) | Die Katze schläft unter dem Bett. (The cat is sleeping under the bed.) | Der Hund ist unter dem Tisch. (The dog is under the table.) |
| vor (in front of) | Sie geht vor das Haus. (She is going in front of the house.) | Er steht vor dem Haus. (He is in front of the house.) |
| zwischen (between) | Ich gehe zwischen die Häuser. (I am going between the houses.) | Wir sind zwischen den Häusern. (We are between the houses.) |
Examples with Dual Case Prepositions:
- Ich gehe in das Zimmer.
(I am going into the room.) (Accusative – motion) - Ich bin in dem Zimmer.
(I am in the room.) (Dative – location) - Er stellt das Buch auf den Tisch.
(He is placing the book onto the table.) (Accusative – motion) - Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
(The book is on the table.) (Dative – location) - Ich gehe hinter das Haus.
(I am going behind the house.) (Accusative – motion) - Er ist hinter dem Haus.
(He is behind the house.) (Dative – location)
Summary:
- Personal pronouns in German change depending on the case required by the preposition (nominative, accusative, or dative).
- Accusative case is used for motion (e.g., "Ich gehe in das Zimmer" – I am going into the room).
- Dative case is used for location (e.g., "Ich bin in dem Zimmer" – I am in the room).
- Dual case prepositions can take either the accusative or dative, depending on whether the action is one of motion (accusative) or location (dative).
Key Vocabulary:
- through: durch
- for: für
- without: ohne
- from: aus
- with: mit
- at: bei
- to: zu
- in: in
- between: zwischen
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