# bei, zu, nach



## Magg

Hello,

I´m here again with the Wechselpräpositionen. 
Now, I know they go with the dative, but the three all fit well in the blank spaces I have to fill.
How do I manage to know the difference?

I´d be grateful if you could help me. I´m sitting my final German exam next Thursday and I´m scared of it.

Thanks,
Magg


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## elroy

Magg said:
			
		

> Hello,
> 
> I´m here again with the Wechselpräpositionen.
> Now, I know they go with the dative, but the three all fit well in the blank spaces I have to fill.
> How do I manage to know the difference?
> 
> I´d be grateful if you could help me. I´m sitting my final German exam next Thursday and I´m scared of it.
> 
> Thanks,
> Magg



bei = at the place of (chez in French)
zu = to
nach = after, to (sometimes)

It really depends on context, though.  A lot of it is idiomatic!


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## Magg

elroy said:
			
		

> bei = at the place of (chez in French)
> zu = to
> nach = after, to (sometimes)
> 
> It really depends on context, though.  A lot of it is idiomatic!


Yeah, of course, context is important, but it doesn´t help me a lot sometimes.
In the case of *zu* and *nach* meaning to, how do you know it? Are there only few cases in which *nach* means *to*, which I don´t know and should learn, or is it something else?

Honestly, I think I haven´t had a good teacher this first year. She´s said nothing about it and I have lots of gaps.

By the way, do you know of any good German grammar book? I´ve been having a look at the kett webpage but there are many and they don´t show samples.

Thanks


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## Jana337

A good thing to know about *nach* is that you must use it with most countries' and towns' names, except for those which have an article (we have recently had a thread called Schweiz, Mongolei, Slowakei - or similar - on that). For states and towns with an article you use *in and the * *dative* *ACCUSATIVE* .

Jana


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## elroy

Magg said:
			
		

> Yeah, of course, context is important, but it doesn´t help me a lot sometimes.
> In the case of *zu* and *nach* meaning to, how do you know it? Are there only few cases in which *nach* means *to*, which I don´t know and should learn, or is it something else?
> 
> Honestly, I think I haven´t had a good teacher this first year. She´s said nothing about it and I have lots of gaps.
> 
> By the way, do you know of any good German grammar book? I´ve been having a look at the kett webpage but there are many and they don´t show samples.
> 
> Thanks



You use "nach" with names of cities and countries, unless the country or city is not neuter (in which case it would always have an article)

Ich fahre nach Portugal.
Ich fahre nach Deutschland.
Ich fahre nach Berlin.

BUT

Ich fahre in die USA.
Ich fahre in den Irak.
Ich fahre in die Schweiz.

You also say "nach oben," "nach unten," "nach rechts," "nach links," etc.

I think those are the only situations in which "nach" means "to."  In other cases you would use "zu" or "in."


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## elroy

Jana337 said:
			
		

> For states and towns with an article you use *in and the dative*.
> 
> Jana



Is that right?  What's an example?


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## Jana337

Magg,

let's count two advanced non-natives as one native. So now you have the usage of *nach* confirmed by a native. 

Jana


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## Jana337

elroy said:
			
		

> Is that right?  What's an example?



Oh, sorry.  I should not do too many things at a moment. I am going to edit the post. It is accusative, of course.

Jana


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## Magg

Elroy, Jana -- now it makes sense.
I´ve been revising my exercise and it´s true the thing about the countries and town.

Thank you very much both.

Magg


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## elroy

Magg said:
			
		

> By the way, do you know of any good German grammar book? I´ve been having a look at the kett webpage but there are many and they don´t show samples.
> 
> Thanks



I forgot to answer your question about the grammar book.

If you want a grammar book that teaches German in English, _Handbuch der deutschen Grammatik _ is phenomenal.


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## jorge_val_ribera

Hello!

You shouldn't forget the special use of "Hause"

Ich gehe nach Hause. (=Voy a (mi) casa)
Ich bin zu Hause. (=Estoy en (mi) casa)


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## elroy

jorge_val_ribera said:
			
		

> Hello!
> 
> You shouldn't forget the special use of "Hause"
> 
> Ich gehe nach Hause. (=Voy a (mi) casa)
> Ich bin zu Hause. (=Estoy en (mi) casa)



Yes!   Good call, Jorge!


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## jorge_val_ribera

Thanks, elroy! I just remembered the problems that I had when learning these prepositions (all the times I wrote "Ich bin in meinem Haus", "Ich gehe zu meinem Haus" etc hehe)


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## Whodunit

Magg said:
			
		

> Now, I know they go with the dative, but the three all fit well in the blank spaces I have to fill.



Do you mind posting this exercise? Maybe we could explain it better to you, if we have some context, he?


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## elroy

jorge_val_ribera said:
			
		

> Thanks, elroy! I just remembered the problems that I had when learning these prepositions (all the times I wrote "Ich bin in meinem Haus", "Ich gehe zu meinem Haus" etc hehe)



I think you actually CAN say "in meinem Haus" but you have to say "zu Hause."  Not that I've ever heard anyone say that, but it sounds like it might theoretically be possible.  Let's wait to hear what native speakers say.


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## Jana337

elroy said:
			
		

> I think you actually CAN say "in meinem Haus" but you have to say "zu Hause." Not that I've ever heard anyone say that, but it sounds like it might theoretically be possible. Let's wait to hear what native speakers say.



Definitely possible. In meinem Haus gibt es 5 Zimmer. Ich dulde in meinem Haus keine Raucher! Mir wird es langsam zu eng in meinem Haus.

Jana


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## Whodunit

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Definitely possible. In meinem Haus gibt es 5 Zimmer. Ich dulde in meinem Haus keine Raucher! Mir wird es langsam zu eng in meinem Haus.
> 
> Jana



I could also say "Ich lebe allein in meinem Haus" or even "Ich bin jetzt in meinem Haus" instead of "zu Hause".


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## jorge_val_ribera

Und man könnte auch so einen Satz bilden (wenn ich mich nicht irre):

Eine Küche, zwei Schlafzimmer und eine Toilette gehören *zu meinem Haus*.

...oder?


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## Jana337

jorge_val_ribera said:
			
		

> Und man könnte auch so einen Satz bilden (wenn ich mich nicht irre):
> 
> Eine Küche, zwei Schlafzimmer und eine Toilette gehören *zu meinem Haus*.
> 
> ...oder?



Es würde mich mal die Meinung der Muttersprachler interessieren, aber ich glaube, dass es komisch klingt. Zu meinem Haus kann z. B. eine Garage gehören, oder ein Schwimmbecken und ein Garten, nicht etwas, was drinnen ist.

Jana


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## Whodunit

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Es würde mich mal die Meinung der Muttersprachler interessieren, aber ich glaube, dass es komisch klingt. Zu meinem Haus kann z. B. eine Garage gehören, oder ein Schwimmbecken und ein Garten, nicht etwas, was drinnen ist.
> 
> Jana



Doch es funktioniert in der Tat. "Zu meinem Haus gehört eine Rieseninnenausstattung (how many doible consonants?) und eine atemberaubende Pferderanch."


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## Jana337

Whodunit said:
			
		

> Do*x*h es funktioniert in der Tat. "Zu meinem Haus gehört eine Rieseninnenausstattung (how many do*i*ble consonants?) und eine atemberaubende Pferderanch."



Banana fingers. 

Ich weiß, was eine Innenausstattung ist. Was soll ich mir unter dem Begriff Rieseninnenausstattung vorstellen? 

Jana


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## Whodunit

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Banana fingers.
> 
> Ich weiß, was eine Innenausstattung ist. Was soll ich mir unter dem Begriff Rieseninnenausstattung vorstellen?
> 
> Jana



Sorry fir my banana fingets!   

Also, "Riesen-" heißt immer etwas Tolles, etwas Pompöses, Atemberaubendes, "Geiles", etwas, was unglaublich toll ist! Und eine "Rieseninnenausstattung" ist eine faszinierende Innenausstattung, die jedem Betrachter sofort ins Auge fällt.

Verstanden?


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## Jana337

Whodunit said:
			
		

> Sorry fir my banana fingets!
> 
> Also, "Riesen-" heißt immer etwas Tolles, etwas Pompöses, Atemberaubendes, "Geiles", etwas, was unglaublich toll ist! Und eine "Rieseninnenausstattung" ist eine faszinierende Innenausstattung, die jedem Betrachter sofort ins Auge fällt.
> 
> Verstanden?



Verstanden. Ich habe mir eher etwas Großes vorgestellt.

Jana


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## elroy

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Definitely possible. In meinem Haus gibt es 5 Zimmer. Ich dulde in meinem Haus keine Raucher! Mir wird es langsam zu eng in meinem Haus.
> 
> Jana



But would you ever say "Ich bin in meinen Haus"?  Perhaps to emphasize what building you're in?


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## elroy

Whodunit said:
			
		

> I could also say "Ich lebe allein in meinem Haus" or even "Ich bin jetzt in meinem Haus" instead of "zu Hause".



Ah, yes.  That's what I wanted to hear!


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## Jana337

elroy said:
			
		

> But would you ever say "Ich bin in meinen Haus"?  Perhaps to emphasize what building you're in?



Maybe. I would rather say "ich bin bei mir zu Hause".

But let me approach it from another angle: Imagine that I owe a house of which only a part is my home. When I am in the building but outside my four walls, "ich bin bei mir zu Hause" is absolutely corrects.

I am afraid we are splitting hairs. 

Jana


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## elroy

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Maybe. I would rather say "ich bin bei mir zu Hause".
> 
> But let me approach it from another angle: Imagine that I owe a house of which only a part is my home. When I am in the building but outside my four walls, "ich bin bei mir zu Hause" is absolutely corrects.
> 
> I am afraid we are splitting hairs.
> 
> Jana



Yes, I believe so.

Suffice it to say that "zu Hause" can refer not only to the actual building but to the feeling (Gemütlichkeit?) of being home.   

Thus, you can be "in deinem Haus" but not really "zu Hause"....


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