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bei in seit mit auf hinter von nach aus zu für vor

Prepositions are little but powerful words like to, with, from, at, in, near, on etc. that have a big impact on whatever follows them. They tell you about direction, position, location, and so forth. Here we are going to look at the preposition zu (to)

Have a look at the following 2 sentences Der Bahnhof ist in der Stadtmitte. (the station is in the town centre) Wie komme ich zu d em (zum) Bahnhof? (How do I get to the station?)

Have you noticed……..? In sentence 1 the station is Der Bahnhof because it is (the doer!) of the Sentence. The Subject ( Nominative)

Der Bahnhof (Subject – Nominative) BECOMES (after zu –DATIVE) In sentence 2 the station follows the prepositionzu this triggers off the following change to the article that comes after zu zu d em (zum) Bahnhof

There is also a change with feminine nouns. Look…. Die Post ist dort drüben. (the post office is over there) Wie komme ich zu d er (zur) Post? (How do I get to the post office?)

In sentence 2 the post office follows the prepositionzu this triggers off the following change to the article that comes after zu Die Post (Subject – Nominative) BECOMES (after zu–DATIVE ) zu d er (zur) Post

Now lets have a look at neuter nouns. Das Kino ist im Stadtzentrum. (the cinema is in the town centre) Wie komme ich zu d em (zum) Kino? (How do I get to the cinema?)

In sentence 2 the cinema follows the prepositionzu this triggers off the following change to the article that comes after zu Das Kino (Subject – Nominative) BECOMES (after zu–DATIVE) zu d em (zum) Kino

And dont forget the Plural nouns. Here they come….. Die Geschäfte sind dort drüben. (the shops are over there) Wie komme ich zu d en Geschäfte n. (How do I get to the shops?)

In sentence 2 the shops follow the prepositionzu this triggers off the following change to the article that comes after zu Die Geschäfte (Subject – Nominative) BECOMES (after zu–DATIVE) zu d en Geschäfte n

Contractions after zu zu dem zum zu der zur zu dem zum zu den

Masc. Fem.NeuterPlural Der Bahnhof Die Post Das Kino Die Ge- schäfte d em Bahnhof d er Post d em Kino d en Ge- schäfte n The Subject (Nomina tive) afterzu (Dative)

Have you noticed……..?....these funny wordsNominative and Dative that keep cropping up?

The different forms of the articles the and a have got names the and a before the SUBJECT NOMINATIVE Der/ein (m) Die/eine (f) Das/ein (n) Die/-- (pl) the and a after preposition zu DATIVE Dem/einem (m) Der/einer (f) Dem/einem (n) Den/-- (pl)