German Accusative Prepositions: Durch, Für, Gegen - Complete List

Accusative prepositions always take accusative case — no exceptions, no dative option. Once you've learned the accusative case itself, these eight prepositions are pure memorization: see the word, use accusative, done.

Complete List of Accusative Prepositions

Detailed Examples for Each Preposition

Durch (through)

• Ich gehe durch den Wald. (I walk through the forest.)
• Der Fluss fließt durch die Stadt. (The river flows through the city.)
• Sie läuft durch das Gebäude. (She runs through the building.)

Für (for)

• Das Geschenk ist für meinen Vater. (The gift is for my father.)
• Sie arbeitet für eine große Firma. (She works for a big company.)
• Dieser Tisch ist für die Küche. (This table is for the kitchen.)

Gegen (against / towards)

• Wir spielen gegen die andere Mannschaft. (We play against the other team.)
• Er läuft gegen die Wand. (He runs into the wall.)
• Sie kämpft gegen die Krankheit. (She fights against the illness.)

Ohne (without)

• Ich kann nicht ohne meinen Kaffee arbeiten. (I can't work without my coffee.)
• Sie geht ohne ihren Mantel nach draußen. (She goes outside without her coat.)
• Das Auto läuft nicht ohne Benzin. (The car doesn't run without gasoline.)

Um (around)

• Wir sitzen um den Tisch. (We sit around the table.)
• Der Zaun ist um das Haus. (The fence is around the house.)
• Die Leute stehen um das Feuer. (People stand around the fire.)

Bis (until / by)

• Warte bis nächste Woche. (Wait until next week.)
• Ich arbeite bis Freitag. (I work until Friday.)
• Wir müssen das bis morgen fertig machen. (We must finish that by tomorrow.)

Entlang (along)

Note: with accusative, "entlang" usually follows the noun instead of leading it.

• Wir spazieren den Fluss entlang. (We walk along the river.)
• Das Haus liegt die Straße entlang. (The house is located along the street.)
• Sie laufen die Küste entlang. (They walk along the coast.)

Wider (against / contrary to — formal, rare)

• Das ist wider meine Erwartung. (That is against my expectation.)
• Er handelt wider die Regeln. (He acts contrary to the rules.)

Practice: Accusative Prepositions

Fill in the correct accusative form:

1. Ich gehe durch _____ Schule. (I walk through school — feminine) — Answer: die
2. Das ist für _____ Mann. (This is for the man — masculine) — Answer: den
3. Wir spielen gegen _____ Team. (We play against the team — neuter) — Answer: das
4. Ich arbeite ohne _____ Musik. (I work without music — feminine) — Answer: die
5. Sie sitzen um _____ Tisch. (They sit around the table — masculine) — Answer: den
6. Warte bis _____ Freitag. (Wait until Friday — masculine) — Answer: den
7. Die Katze läuft durch _____ Zimmer. (The cat runs through the room — neuter) — Answer: das
8. Das Buch ist für _____ Schülerin. (The book is for the student — feminine) — Answer: die

Common Mistakes with Accusative Prepositions

Mistake 1: Using Dative Instead of Accusative

Wrong: Ich gehe durch dem Park. (using dative)
Right: Ich gehe durch den Park. (accusative)

Mistake 2: Forgetting Article Changes

Wrong: Das ist für die Mann. (wrong gender)
Right: Das ist für den Mann. (masculine accusative)

Mistake 3: Confusing "Um" with Two-Way Prepositions

"Um" (around, movement/position) always takes accusative. Don't confuse it with a two-way preposition like "an" used for a fixed location:

Movement/position around something: Ich sitze um den Tisch. (um = around, accusative)
Sitting right at a table: Ich sitze am Tisch. (an + dem = "at," dative for a fixed location)

Quick Reference: Accusative Prepositions Only

Remember: all eight of these always take accusative — dative is never an option here.

• durch = through
• für = for
• gegen = against / towards
• ohne = without
• um = around
• bis = until
• entlang = along
• wider = against (rare / formal)

Mnemonic: "durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis" — say it a few times until it sticks.

Real-World Usage

• für meinen Bruder — for my brother
• durch die Stadt — through the city
• gegen das Team — against the team
• ohne einen Grund — without a reason
• bis Freitag — until Friday
• um einen Tisch — around a table

Summary

Accusative prepositions always take accusative case (den, die, das, die for plural). Once you've memorized these eight, case choice is no longer a decision — accusative is the only option.

Practice tip: say the accusative form after each preposition automatically — "durch den…", "für den…", "gegen das…" — until it's reflexive.

FAQ

Are there more accusative prepositions I should know?
These eight cover the vast majority of everyday and written usage. A few rarer/archaic ones exist beyond "wider," but they're uncommon enough not to worry about early on.

Why do some prepositions take accusative but others take dative?
Historical language evolution — the case each preposition takes was fixed centuries ago and just has to be learned. English keeps traces of the same idea (compare how "of" behaves like a genitive marker).

Can I ever use dative with these prepositions?
No — accusative prepositions are strict. Dative is never correct after durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, entlang, or wider.

How do I remember which prepositions take accusative?
A short mnemonic phrase or flashcards work well — "durch für gegen ohne um bis" said aloud a few times is usually enough to make it stick.

Related Grammar

See how dative and genitive prepositions differ, and how two-way prepositions switch between the two, in our dative case guide and genitive case guide (both list their prepositions). For the underlying case itself, see accusative case: direct objects, or compare all four cases at once in our case comparison guide.

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