10.18 Prepositions with "die Schule"

Grammar 29: Die Schule

Lars geht in die Schule.

("Lars goes to school.")

Mutti bringt mich in die Schule.

("Mummy takes me to school.")

Mareike fährt zur Schule.

("Mareike drives to school.")

Lars ist in der Schule.

("Lars is at school.")

Sie ist Lehrerin auf einer Grundschule.

("She teaches in a primary school.")

Um drei Uhr verlasse ich die Schule.

("I leave school at three o'clock.")

 

Notes

Point 1As a school is a building which you can be "inside", the preposition used for going into a school is "in" (+ Accusative). It cannot be used in the third example however as Mareike is driving to school. To use the German preposition "in" here would imply that she drove her car into the school building itself!

 

As the example suggests, you should instead use the preposition "zu" (+ Dative), which indicates motion up to, but not inside a place or building.

 

Point 2The preposition used for being physically inside a school is "in" (+ Dative). The prepositions "auf" (+ Dative) or "an" (+ Dative) are used with academic institutions at which a person is employed.

 

Point 3The verb "verlassen" equates to "to leave" in English. It is used to describe movements out of buildings as opposed to rooms. "Verlassen" is a transitive verb, which means that it has to be followed by an accusative (direct) object - i.e. "die Schule". You cannot simply say "Ich verlasse".