Sometimes it can be very hard for learners of German to choose the correct preposition. This may be especially the case with the German prepositions \u201czu\u201d and \u201cnach\u201d, which both mean \u201cto\u201d in English. Even some Germans have difficulties to distinguish \u201czu\u201d and \u201cnach\u201d or use other prepositions when actually \u201czu\u201d or \u201cnach\u201d are obligatory. This results in catastrophic phrases that harshly grate on my ears. For example, some Germans say \u201cIch gehe bei Oma.\u201d or \u201cIch gehe nach Oma.\u201d, which should mean \u201cIch gehe zu Oma.\u201d (I go to grandma.). You see Germans themselves are also not always right when it comes to grammatical correctness. Since I don\u2019t want you to repeat everything in a parrot-fashion you can find below an explanation and some examples when you should use \u201czu\u201d and \u201cnach\u201d when you talk of movement.<\/p>\n
The preposition \u201cnach\u201d is used to indicate a destination or direction. You use it when you refer to continents, countries, cities, and points of the compass. Furthermore, when the preposition \u201cnach\u201d is used the following noun is not used with a definite article.<\/p>\n
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Er fliegt morgen nach Amerika und sie nach Z\u00fcrich.<\/p>\n
(Tomorrow he will go to America and she to Zurich.)<\/p>\n
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Eva m\u00f6chte am Wochenende nach Paris fliegen.<\/p>\n
(Eva wants to go to Paris on the weekend.)<\/p>\n
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Schau mal nach Osten. Dort geht gerade die Sonne auf.<\/p>\n
(Look to the east. The sun is just rising there.)<\/p>\n
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Er kam sp\u00e4t nach Hause.<\/p>\n
(He got home late.)<\/p>\n
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An der n\u00e4chsten Kreuzung biegen sie rechts ab.<\/p>\n
(Turn right at the next intersection.)<\/p>\n
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Dreh dich nach links.<\/p>\n
(Turn left.)<\/p>\n
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Note: In German you always say how you move to a destination or target. That is to say, when you go by plane you say that you \u2018fly to \u2026\u2019 and when you go by car, train, ship or bus you \u2018drive to \u2026\u2019; regardless whether you steer a vehicle or not.<\/p>\n
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The preposition \u201czu\u201d is used when you want to stress that the target of movement is a person or thing. Very often the following noun has a definite article<\/p>\n
Ich gehe zu meiner Oma.<\/p>\n
(I go to my grandma.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Am Wochenende fahren wir zu Claudia.<\/p>\n
(At the weekend we go to Claudia.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ich komme zu dir.<\/p>\n
(I come to your place.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
der Bus f\u00e4hrt zum Bahnhof.<\/p>\n
(The bus \u2018drives\u2019 to the railroad station.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wir gehen zur Bushaltestelle.<\/p>\n
(We go to the bus stop.)<\/p>\n
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Company names are also treated like personal names. For example, when you want to express that you go to a supermarket you use \u201czu\u201d: Ich gehe zu Aldi. (I go to Aldi.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sometimes it can be very hard for learners of German to choose the correct preposition. This may be especially the case with the German prepositions \u201czu\u201d and \u201cnach\u201d, which both mean \u201cto\u201d in English. Even some Germans have difficulties to distinguish \u201czu\u201d and \u201cnach\u201d or use other prepositions when actually \u201czu\u201d or \u201cnach\u201d are obligatory…<\/p>\n