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Study Resource: German prepositions that form wo-compounds

By: Mareen Fuchs

The following prepositions can be used to form wo-compounds in German.

  • Two-case prepositions

    PrepositionWo-compound
    an
    Translation: on
    woran
    Translation: on what
    auf
    Translation: on top of
    worauf
    Translation: on top of what
    hinter
    Translation: behind
    wohinter
    Translation: behind what
    in
    Translation: in
    worin
    Translation: in what
    neben
    Translation: beside
    woneben
    Translation: beside what
    über
    Translation: above, over, about
    worüber
    Translation: above what,
    over what,
    about what
    unter
    Translation: under, underneath
    worunter
    Translation: under what,
    underneath what
    vor
    Translation: in front of
    wovor
    Translation: in front of what
    zwischen
    Translation: between
    wozwischen
    Translation: between what

  • Accusative prepositions

    PrepositionWo-compound
    durch
    Translation: through, by
    wodurch
    Translation: through what,
    by what
    für
    Translation: for
    wofür
    Translation: for what
    gegen
    Translation: against
    wogegen
    Translation: against what
    um
    Translation: around
    worum
    Translation: around what

  • Dative prepositions

    PrepositionWo-compound
    aus
    Translation: out of
    woraus
    Translation: out of what
    bei
    Translation: at
    wobei
    Translation: at what
    mit
    Translation: with
    womit
    Translation: with what
    nach
    Translation: after
    wonach
    Translation: after what
    von
    Translation: from, of
    wovon
    Translation: from what,
    of what
    zu
    Translation: to
    wozu
    Translation: to what

Prepositions not in this list do not form a wo-compound. You use the preposition + was, instead. For example:

Ohne was kannst du nicht leben?
Translation: Without what can't you live?