German Accusative Prepositions: All of Them, With Examples You'll Actually Use

Learners searching 'German accusative prepositions list' are usually surprised: there are only five. Compare that to nine dative prepositions and a whole group of two-way prepositions, and the accusative-only list is actually easy to learn. The challenge is using them correctly in real German sentences and not mixing them up with the two-way prepositions. This guide covers the five accusative prepositions, their meanings, common phrases, and the mistakes German learners most often make with them.

The five German accusative prepositions

durch (through), für (for), gegen (against/around), ohne (without), um (around/at). Remember them with the mnemonic 'durch für gegen ohne um' — these five only ever take the accusative. Durch den Park gehen — to walk through the park. Für mich bitte — for me, please. Gegen die Wand — against the wall. Ohne dich — without you. Um den Tisch — around the table / Um drei Uhr — at three o'clock. Every one of these phrases needs the accusative article: den (masculine), die (feminine), das (neuter), die (plural).

The contractions: fürs, durchs, ums, ans, ins

Several prepositions contract with das in casual speech: für + das = fürs (for the). durch + das = durchs (through the). um + das = ums (around/about the). These appear constantly in everyday German: Ich kaufe das fürs Büro (I'm buying that for the office). Geh durchs Tor (Go through the gate). Es geht ums Geld (It's about the money). Note: ans (an + das) and ins (in + das) look similar but an and in are two-way prepositions, not accusative-only. This is a common source of confusion for learners at the A2 to B1 level.

The most common mistake: gegen as 'around' for time

Gegen has two meanings that confuse learners: 'against' and 'around/about' (for time and approximations). Gegen die Wand — against the wall. Gegen zehn Uhr — around ten o'clock. Gegen zwanzig Euro — about twenty euros. Both meanings take the accusative. You'll hear 'gegen' used for approximate times constantly in casual German conversation — 'Ich komme gegen acht' (I'll come around eight). It's one of the most natural-sounding time expressions in German and marks you as an advanced speaker if you use it correctly.

Accusative prepositions in German conversation and media

These five prepositions appear in virtually every German conversation. 'Ohne' is especially common in emotional speech: ohne dich, ohne Grund, ohne Ende. 'Für' is used in practically every transaction and gift-giving context. Watch any German TV show and you'll hear all five within minutes. German learners who watch real German content with subtitles — whether through a tool like Butterfluent or by watching German YouTube with dual subtitles — absorb these prepositions and their cases naturally through repetition in meaningful contexts, which is far more effective than drilling accusative preposition exercises alone.