Verben mit festen Präpositionen (1)
Many German verbs pair with a fixed preposition that does not translate literally from English, and that preposition locks in a specific case. These pairs cannot be guessed - they have to be learned as a unit, verb plus preposition plus case, the same way English learners memorize "wait for" instead of "wait on."
A preposition like auf can take accusative or dative depending on the sentence (Lesson 26-ish two-way prepositions). But once a verb is fixed to a preposition, the case is also fixed - it no longer varies.
| Verb + preposition | Case | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| denken an | Akkusativ | to think about/of |
| warten auf | Akkusativ | to wait for |
| sich freuen auf | Akkusativ | to look forward to |
Quick check: does "warten auf" take accusative or dative?
| Verb + preposition | Case | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sich freuen über | Akkusativ | to be happy about (something that already happened) |
| sprechen über | Akkusativ | to talk about |
| Angst haben vor | Dativ | to be afraid of |
Ich denke oft an dich. (I often think about you.)
Wir warten auf den Bus. (We are waiting for the bus.)
Ich freue mich auf die Ferien. (I'm looking forward to the holidays.)
Sie freut sich über das Geschenk. (She is happy about the gift.)
Er hat Angst vor Hunden. (He is afraid of dogs.)
sich freuen auf is for something still to come; sich freuen über is for something that already happened - a distinction with no single English equivalent, so it is worth memorizing as its own rule.
Quick check: "I'm looking forward to the holidays" uses freuen auf or freuen über?
1. "He is afraid of dogs." - Er hat Angst ______ Hunden.
2. Which case does "Angst haben vor" take?
Aligned with standard Goethe-Zertifikat B1 / telc B1 exam syllabus topics.
Want more verb-preposition pairs drilled with your own example sentences? Ask your teaching agent.