B1-20 · Learn verbs with their prepositions

Office communication

Write fictional office messages about requests, replies and shared tasks.

About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions

Gouache illustration of a woman composing an office email beside a notebook, with a male colleague holding a project folder across the desk.

Requests and replies

In a fictional office project, Eva writes short messages to Jonas. Some verbs select a particular preposition. Learn the verb, preposition and case together, as in warten auf plus the accusative.

Ich warte auf Ihre Antwort.

I am waiting for your reply.

Ich bitte um eine kurze Rückmeldung.

I am asking for brief feedback.

Jonas antwortet auf meine E-Mail.

Jonas replies to my email.

Wir warten auf den Bericht.

We are waiting for the report.

These examples use warten auf, bitten um and antworten auf. Each takes an accusative noun phrase for the thing awaited, requested or answered.

Work on a shared task

Eva and Jonas coordinate a report. Sprechen mit names the person you speak to; sprechen über names the topic. Arbeiten an takes the dative when it identifies the task being worked on.

Ich spreche mit meinem Kollegen.

I am speaking with my colleague.

Wir sprechen über den Zeitplan.

We are talking about the schedule.

Eva arbeitet an einem Entwurf.

Eva is working on a draft.

Jonas nimmt an der Besprechung teil.

Jonas takes part in the meeting.

Do not choose the case by movement rules here. In these verb combinations, the verb and its preposition determine the case.

Follow up politely

Eva sends a reminder and thanks Jonas for his help. Denken an takes the accusative. Sich bedanken uses bei for the person and für for the thing you are grateful for.

Bitte denken Sie an den Anhang.

Please remember the attachment.

Ich bedanke mich bei meinem Kollegen.

I thank my colleague.

Ich bedanke mich für Ihre Hilfe.

I thank you for your help.

Ich entschuldige mich für die Verspätung.

I apologise for the delay.

Keep the reflexive pronoun with sich bedanken and sich entschuldigen. In the first person it is mich. Für takes the accusative in both expressions below.

Ready to try it?

Check what you remember with 12 short questions.