You need to use your mouse to see this presentation © Heidi Behrens

You need to use your mouse to see this presentation

bei in seit mit auf hinter von nach aus zu f ü r vor

Prepositions are little but powerful words like to, with, from, at, in, near, on etc. that have a big impact on whatever follows them in German. They tell you about direction, position, location, and so forth. Here we are going to look at the preposition für (for)

Have a look at the following 2 sentences Mein Computer istneu Ich sparefür ein en neu en Computer Subject Verb Prep Adj.Object

(M)ein Computer (Subject=Nominative) BECOMES (after für=Accusative) In sentence 1 my computer is the SUBJECT (Nominative) of the sentence In sentence 2 I is the SUBJECT and a computer is the OBJECT (Accusative) of the sentence für ein en neu en Computer

Have you noticed…? There has been a change to the articleein and the adjective neu in sentence 2. Both have an ending which is en. The adjective has an ending because it appears in front of a masculine noun (here: in front of an object) and is not on its own.

Have a look at the following 2 sentences Meine Handtasche istneu Ich sparefür ein e neu e Handtasche Subject Verb Prep Adj.Object

(M)ein e Handtasche (Subject=Nominative ) BECOMES (after für=Accusative) In sentence 1 my handbag is the SUBJECT (Nominative) of the sentence In sentence 2 I is the SUBJECT and a handbag is the OBJECT (Accusative) of the sentence für ein e neu e Handtasche

Have you noticed…? There is no change to the article eine but there has been a change to the adjectiveneu – In sentence 2 it has an ending which is e. This is because the adjective appears in front of a feminine noun (here: in front of an object) and is not on its own.

Have a look at the following 2 sentences Mein Handy istneu Ich sparefürein neu es Handy Subject Verb Prep Adj.Object

(M)ein Handy (Subject=Nominative) BECOMES (after für=Accusative) In sentence 1 my handy is the SUBJECT (Nominative) of the sentence In sentence 2 I is the SUBJECT and a handy is the OBJECT (Accusative) of the sentence für ein neu es Handy

Have you noticed…? There is no change to the article ein but there has been a change to the adjectiveneu – In sentence 2 it has an ending which is es. This is because the adjective appears in front of a neuter noun (here: in front of an object) and is not on its own.

Have a look at the following 2 sentences sindneu Ich sparefür neu e CDs Subject Verb Prep Adj.Object Meine CDs

(Subject=Nominative) BECOMES (after für=Accusative) In sentence 1 my CDs are the SUBJECT (Nominative) of the sentence In sentence 2 I is the SUBJECT and CDs are the OBJECT (Accusative) of the sentence. für ---neu e CDs (M)eine CDs

Have you noticed…? There is no article at all in front of a PLURAL noun unless you are saying my which would be meine. There has been a change to the adjective neu – In sentence 2 it has an ending which is e. This is because the adjective appears in front of the PLURAL NOUN (here: in front of an object) and is not on its own.

Have you noticed……..?....these funny wordsNominative and Accusative that keep cropping up?

What does that all mean? Subject (Nominative) and Object (Accusative)? Nominative and Accusative are cases (nothing to do with luggage here!) Cases show you the task of a noun or pronoun like, e.g.Ich in a sentence. The function of Ich in the sentenceIch spare für eine Handtasche is that it describes the SUBJECT (the part of the sentence that is doing the action – here: the saving). Ich is in the NOMINATIVE case. After the preposition für you always need the ACCUSATIVE case which is for the OBJECT of the sentence. Clear as mud? Dont worry – this takes practice!

Masc. Fem.NeuterPlural (m)ein Computer (m)ein e Handtasche (m)ein Handy (m)ein e CDs ein en neuen Computer ein e neue Handtasche ein neues Handy neue CDs The Subject (Nomina tive) afterfür (Accusa tive)