Genitiv-Präpositionen
Genitive prepositions appear most often in formal writing, academic texts, legal language, and news articles. In everyday speech, many are replaced by alternatives (e.g., wegen + Dativ in spoken German). In exams and formal writing, always use Genitiv.
These prepositions grammatically require the Genitiv case. The noun that follows takes the Genitiv form — masculine and neuter nouns add -s or -es, and the article changes to des / einer.
Spoken German note: In everyday spoken German, many of these prepositions are used with Dativ instead of Genitiv — especially wegen, trotz, and statt. Both forms are listed below. In formal writing and exams, use Genitiv.
wegen des Regens (written) → wegen dem Regen (spoken)
Die wichtigsten Genitiv-Präpositionen
| Präposition | Bedeutung | Beispiel (Genitiv) | Spoken Dativ |
|---|---|---|---|
| wegen | because of | wegen des Regens | wegen dem Regen |
| während | during | während des Unterrichts | — (Genitiv preferred) |
| trotz | despite | trotz des schlechten Wetters | trotz dem Wetter |
| statt / anstatt | instead of | statt eines Autos | statt einem Auto |
| aufgrund | due to, on account of | aufgrund des Fehlers | aufgrund dem Fehler |
| innerhalb | within, inside | innerhalb einer Stunde | — (Genitiv preferred) |
| außerhalb | outside of, beyond | außerhalb der Stadt | — (Genitiv preferred) |
| oberhalb | above | oberhalb des Sees | — (Genitiv preferred) |
| unterhalb | below | unterhalb der Brücke | — (Genitiv preferred) |
| mithilfe | with the help of | mithilfe eines Wörterbuchs | — (Genitiv preferred) |
statt vs. anstatt: These are interchangeable in modern German. Statt is more common in everyday use. Both mean "instead of" and both take Genitiv.
Artikel im Genitiv
| Maskulin | Feminin | Neutrum | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definit | des (+s/es) | der | des (+s/es) | der |
| Indefinit | eines (+s/es) | einer | eines (+s/es) | — |
Beispiele
Examples (tap to reveal translation)
5 of 20Eselsbrücke
Memory aid: The four most common Genitiv prepositions are wegen, während, statt, trotz. Learn these four first.
Common Mistakes
Quick Check
Innerhalb ___ Stadt gibt es viele Parks. (die Stadt)
Quick Check
Which preposition means 'instead of' and takes Genitiv?
Quick Check
Translate: 'Because of the noise, I can't sleep.'