German, Genitive Case , To Do or Make, Prepositions, Prepositional Contractions

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German - Genitive Case , To Do or Make, Prepositions, Prepositional Contractions

Genitive Case

The genitive case is used to show possession, more often in writing than in speech. When speaking, most people use von (of) plus the dative case to show possession. For proper nouns, German only adds an -s to the noun, whereas English would add an apostrophe and an -s. Femine and Plural nouns do not change in the Genitive case. Masculine and Neuter nouns add an -s if the word is more than one syllable, or an -es if the word is one syllable. Except the weak masculine nouns that added -(e)n in the accusative and dative; they also also add -(e)n in the genitive. There are some irregular nouns that add -s after -en in the genitive case as well, for example der Name becomes des Namens and das Herz becomes des Herzens.

die Farbe des Vogels - the color of the bird
die Grösse des Hauses - the size of the house
die Tasche meiner Mutter - my mother's purse
der Bleistift des Studenten - the student's pencil

**Definite and Indefinite Articles**
	Masc.	Fem.	Neu.	Plural
Definite	des	der	des	der
Indefinite	eines	einer	eines	keiner

To Do or Make

Machen - to do or make
mache	mock-uh	machen	mock-en
machst	mockst	macht	mockt
macht	mockt	machen	mock-en

Prepositions

Prepositions that take the Accusative case
durch	through
gegen	against
um	around
für	for
ohne	without
Preps. that take the Dative case
aus	out (of), from (country, town or place)
mit	with, by means of (transportation)
von	from (person, open space, or direction), by
seit	since, for
bei	near, at, at home of or place of business
nach	after, to (cities and countries)
zu	to (mostly people and specifically named buildings)
gegenüber	across from
außer	except for, besides
Preps. that take the Genitive case
während	during
trotz	in spite of
anstatt	instead of
wegen	because of
Preps. that may take Acc. or Dat.
an	at, to, on (vertical surfaces, denotes border or limiting area)
auf	onto, on (horizontal surfaces), to (some public buildings)
hinter	behind
in	in, into (building, enclosed space, feminine or plural countries)
neben	beside, next to
über	over, above, across, about
unter	under, below, among, beneath
vor	in front of, before
zwischen	between

For the two-way prepositions: the dative form indicates position and location and answers the question where? The accusative form indicates direction and movement and answers the question where to? For example: In die Schule means to school and uses the accusative form because it is a direction. In der Schule means in school and uses the dative form because it is a location. But one exception is zu Hause - at home (dat.) and nach Hause - (to) home (acc.) Ich bin zu Hause is I am at home, and Ich gehe nach Hause is I am going home.

Accusative: movement & direction	Dative: location & position
Er hängt das Bild über das Sofa. He hangs the picture over the sofa.	Das Bild hängt über dem Sofa. The picture hangs over the sofa.
Stell es unter den Tisch. Put it under the table.	Es ist unter dem Tisch. It is under the table.
Fahren Sie den Wagen hinter das Haus. Drive the car behind the house.	Der Wagen steht hinter dem Haus. The car is behind the house.
Stellen Sie die Flaschen vor die Tür. Put the bottles in front of the door.	Die Flaschen stehen vor der Tür. The bottles are in front of the door.
Stell es auf den Tisch. Put it on the table.	Es liegt auf dem Tisch. It's lying on the table.
Schreib es an die Tafel. Write it on the board.	Es steht an der Tafel. It is on the board.
Er geht in die Küche. He goes into the kitchen.	Er ist in der Küche. He is in the kitchen.
Stellen Sie es neben das Haus. Put it beside the house.	Es ist neben dem Haus. It is beside the house.
Stell die Lampe zwischen das Sofa und den Tisch. Put the lamp between the sofa and the table.	Die Lampe steht zwischen dem Sofa und dem Tisch. The lamp is between the sofa and the table.

Note: Stellen, legen and setzen use the accusative case, while stehen, liegen and sitzen use the dative case.

Prepositional Contractions

an dem	am	to/at the
auf das	aufs	upon the
für das	fürs	for the
in das	ins	into the
zu dem	zum	to the
an das	ans	to/on the
bei dem	beim	at the
in dem	im	in the
von dem	vom	from, of the
zu der	zur	to the
durch das	durchs	through the
um das	ums	around the

Note: ß isn't said when reciting the alphabet. It's actually a double s. Some people will write it ss instead of ß.