German Directional Prepositions: nach, zu, in, auf, an

Where are you going? German needs one of five little words to answer, and choosing the right one trips up a lot of learners. This lesson covers all five Richtungspräpositionen (prepositions of direction): nach, zu, in, auf and an, with rules and tendencies you can rely on.

The Five Prepositions of Direction

The five are nach, zu, in, auf and an. Two of them, in and zu, can sometimes be used in the same sentence, but with a small difference in meaning.

nach

Use nach for cities and countries without an article, for directions, and in nach Hause.

• Ich fahre nach Berlin.
• Wir fliegen nach Italien.
• Gehen Sie nach links.
• Ich gehe nach Hause. (going home)

zu

Use zu for people and for places when you go to them as a goal. It always takes the Dativ (zum = zu dem, zur = zu der).

• Ich gehe zum Arzt.
• Sie geht zur Schule.
• Wir gehen zu Anna.

Do not mix up nach Hause (going home) with zu Hause (being at home).

in

Use in for enclosed spaces and for countries or regions with an article. As a two-way preposition it takes the Akkusativ when you move to a place.

• Ich gehe in den Supermarkt.
• Sie fährt in die Schweiz.
• Wir gehen in das Kino / ins Kino.

in vs. zu

Both can describe going to a place. In stresses going inside (Ich gehe in die Bäckerei: into the shop). Zu stresses going to the place or person as a goal (Ich gehe zur Bäckerei: to the bakery, to buy bread there). With people, always use zu.

auf and an

Auf is for open spaces and public places; an for edges, water and things close to something. Both take the Akkusativ for direction.

• Ich gehe auf den Markt.
• Wir gehen auf die Post.
• Er geht an den Strand.
• Sie geht an die Tür.

The video ends with a bonus tip, so watch it to the end.

Further Reading

See the full list in ALL German A1 Level Prepositions, the local dative prepositions for where things are, and German A1 prepositions in a text.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I use nach in German?

With cities and countries without an article (nach Berlin), with directions (nach links) and in nach Hause.

What is the difference between in and zu?

In means going into an enclosed space; zu means going to a person or to a place as a goal. With people you always use zu.

Which case do these prepositions take?

Nach and zu always take the Dativ. In, auf and an take the Akkusativ when they describe movement to a place.

What is the difference between nach Hause and zu Hause?

Nach Hause describes direction (going home); zu Hause describes location (being at home).

When do I use auf and when an?

Auf is typical for open or public places (auf den Markt); an for edges, water or something next to you (an den Strand, an die Tür).

Want more practice with prepositions? Our A1 German course gives you plenty of it.