A2-23 · Describe a route through the landscape
Nature
Use accusative phrases with durch, um, gegen and ohne, and place entlang after its accusative noun phrase.
About 5 minutes to read · 13 quiz questions
01
Through and around
Durch means through and um can mean around. Both take the accusative. Der Wald becomes durch den Wald, and der See becomes um den See. Die Wiese and das Tal keep die and das.
Wir gehen durch den Wald.
We walk through the forest.
Der Weg führt um den See.
The path goes around the lake.
Wir laufen durch die Wiese.
We walk through the meadow.
Der Fluss fließt durch das Tal.
The river flows through the valley.
Der Wald is the forest, der See the lake, die Wiese the meadow and das Tal the valley. These prepositions require accusative regardless of a separate Wo? or Wohin? question.
02
Against and without
Gegen can mean against, and ohne means without. They also take the accusative. A hike can go against the wind; someone can walk without a backpack.
Wir gehen gegen den Wind.
We walk against the wind.
Ben wandert ohne einen Rucksack.
Ben hikes without a backpack.
Mara geht nicht ohne die Karte los.
Mara does not set off without the map.
Die Jacke schützt gegen den Regen.
The jacket protects against the rain.
Der Wind is the wind, der Rucksack the backpack, die Karte the map and der Regen the rain. Use einen or den with masculine accusative objects after these prepositions.
03
Along the river
In this pattern, entlang comes after the noun phrase and takes the accusative: den Fluss entlang. Der Fluss means river, der Weg path and die Küste coast.
Wir gehen den Fluss entlang.
We walk along the river.
Mara läuft den Weg entlang.
Mara walks along the path.
Wir wandern die Küste entlang.
We hike along the coast.
Ben geht das Ufer entlang.
Ben walks along the bank.
Learn the whole order: Wir gehen den Fluss entlang. Other placements of entlang can use different cases; this lesson practises only the form after an accusative noun phrase.
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