One beautiful thing about german Language is that it always makes provision for an alternative. Adjectives with prepositions which is the alternative to verbs with prepositions, is quite simple and easy to use. Like verbs with prepositions, they consist of adjectives that are used with prepositions which can either be of Akkusativ, Dativ or even both. Walk with me as I explain it carefully.
Content in this post |
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1. What are adjective with? 2. List of adjectives with prepositions 3. How to make sentences with adjectives with prepositions |
Remembering what adjectives are, they are words that, describe, qualify or modify a noun. They can either be used alone (as verb complements) or placed before or after a noun. One thing about german adjectives is how they can be used sometimes with and some other times without an ending. Of course the choice of ending is “immer” dependent on three things: The gender of the noun it describes, the type of article that precedes it and the grammatical case of the noun it describes. Learn how to use german adjectives properly here.
German adjectives with prepositions is a term that describes how certain adjectives are used with certain fixed prepositions to give a certain meaning. Just like verbs with prepositions and nouns with prepositions in both English and German, the most important thing to consider is the meaning. This meaning is totally different from a case where that same adjective is used only as an adjective in a sentence that probably contains the same preposition. So it is quite tricky and you have to pay attention to it, in order to be the best German 🔁 English reader/translator.
While adjectives are used in a german sentence in different ways, they are only used as verb complements (often with sein) with regards to this topic. What this means is that, german adjectives in this case are never used to describe a noun and are never declined or have endings. As a matter of fact, this is the only way to distinguish the “adjectives with prepositions” from sentences that contain both adjectives and prepositions. As opposed to the natural end-position of adjectives, those with prepositions are rather placed directly after the verb.
These prepositions can either be of Akkusativ, Dativ or both cases. Those that are previously known to be of Akkusativ remain Akkusativ and likewise those of Dativ. While those that are of Two-case can either be Akkusativ or Dativ. All your have to do is learn them just as they are. Some examples of these adjectives with prepositions are listed below.
Note that these prepositions can equally be declined as usual depending on its requirement. For example, an can sometimes be used as am and likewise zu as zur etc.
List of Adjectives with Prepositions
German Akkusativ | English | German Dativ | English |
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angepasst an | adapted to | arm an | poor in |
(un)gewöhnt an | (not)used to | beteiligt an | involved in |
angewiesen auf | depended on | interessiert an | interested in |
ärgerlich auf | annoyed with | schuld an | blamed for |
böse auf | angry with | reich an | rich in |
eifersüchtig auf | jealous of | verzweifelt an | desperate with |
gefasst auf | prepared for (mentally) | angesehen bei | famed with |
gespannt auf | excited for | anwesend bei | present at |
konzentriert auf | focused on | behilflich bei | helpful with |
neidisch auf | envious of | bekannt bei | (well-)known at |
neugierig auf | curious about | beliebt bei | popular with/among |
spezialisiert auf | specialized in | beschäftigt bei | busy at |
stolz auf | proud of | gut bei | good at |
vorbereitet auf | prepared for | (un)erfahren in | (in)experienced with |
wütend auf | angry with | gut in | good in |
(un)angenehm für | (un)pleasant for | befreundet mit | friends with |
bekannt für | (well-)known for (negative) | beschäftigt mit | busy/occupied with |
berühmt für | famous for (positive) | einverstanden mit | in agreement with |
bezeichnend für | significant of | fertig mit | finished with |
charakteristisch für | characterized by | geduldig mit | patient with |
dankbar für | thankful for | verabredet mit | appointed to |
engagiert für | committed to | verbunden mit | connected to |
entscheidend für | crucial for | vergleichbar mit | comparable to |
(un)geeignet für | (un)suitable for | verheiratet mit | married to |
(un)gefährlich für | (non)dangerous for | verlobt mit | engaged to |
giftig für | toxic to | verwandt mit | related to |
offen für | open to | (un)zufrieden mit | (un)satisfied with |
nützlich für | useful for | gierig nach | voracious/ greedy for |
schädlich für | harmful to | verrückt nach | crazy about |
schwierig für | difficult for | angeregt von | active in |
typisch für | typical for | (un)abhängig von | (non)dependent on |
verantwortlich für | accountable | begeistert von | amazed by |
wichtig für | important to | entfernt von | far from |
zuständig für | responsible for | enttäuscht von | disappointed in |
allergisch gegen | allergic to | erholt von | recovered from |
unterteilt in | separated into | frei von | free of/from |
verliebt in | in love with | genervt von | nerved with |
aufgeregt über | excited for | getrennt von | separated from |
besorgt über | concerned about | müde von | tired of/from |
beunruhigt über | worried about | überzeugt von | convinced by |
empört über | upset about | voll von | full of |
entsetzt über | horrified by | blass vor | pale with |
enttäuscht über | disappointed with | rot vor | red with |
erfreut über | happy over | (un)sicher vor | (un/in)sure/secure of |
erstaunt über | surprised about | stumm vor | mute in |
froh über | glad about | aggressiv zu | aggressive to |
glücklich über | happy about | bereit zu | ready to |
traurig über | sad about | entschlossen zu | determined to |
verärgert über | angry about | fähig zu | able in |
verwundert über | surprised by | (un)freundlich zu | (un)friendly to |
wütend über | upset with | geeignet zu | suitable to |
besorgt um | concerned for | gut zu | good to |
nett zu | nice to |
Since prepositions have their primary role in a sentence as intermediaries, that is, they relate two nouns or pronouns (usually subject and object) to each other, a noun or pronoun must be placed directly after them. They are placed directly after the adjective and before the noun or pronoun. The order of a sentence with “adjective with preposition” becomes: Subject + Verb (sein) + Adjective + Preposition + Object (I.e S+V+A+P+O).
Questions | Answers |
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1. Worüber bist traurig? (what are you sad about?) | Ich bin traurig über das Fehler, das ich gemacht habe. (I am sad about the mistake that I have made.) |
2. Mit wessen Tochter ist Meier befreundet? (Whose daughter is Meier friends with) | Mit der Tochter des Mannes, deren Frau im Krankenhaus arbeitet, ist Meier befreundet. |
3. Wofür seid ihr dankbar? (What are you guys thankful for?) | Wir sind dankbar für unsere Eltern. (We are thankful for our parents) |
4. Mit wem is Martin verheiratet? (Who are you married to?) | Er ist mit Maria verheiratet. (He is married to Maria) |