Verbs with Fixed Prepositions
Many German verbs come glued to a fixed preposition: warten auf, denken an, sich freuen auf. Learn the most useful pairs, the case they demand, and how to ask about them.
A verb and its preposition come as a pair
In English you wait for the bus; in German you wait on it: warten auf den Bus. The preposition after these verbs is fixed — it belongs to the verb like a surname, and it often has nothing to do with the preposition English would choose. That means there is no point translating the preposition on its own. Learn the whole package instead: warten auf, denken an, sprechen über.
Each package also fixes the case of what follows. You know from the two-way prepositions lesson that auf, an and über can take dative or accusative depending on location and movement. After a verb with a fixed preposition, that location logic switches off — the verb simply dictates the case, and for the pairs in this lesson it is the accusative every time.
So the recipe for your vocabulary notebook is: verb + preposition + case, learned as one unit. Warten auf + accusative. Denken an + accusative. Ten well-chosen units cover most everyday conversations.
Ich warte auf den Bus.
I am waiting for the bus.
warten auf + accusative — English says for, German says auf.
Sie denkt oft an ihre Großmutter.
She often thinks of her grandmother.
denken an + accusative.
Wir sprechen über den Film.
We are talking about the film.
sprechen über + accusative.
The core set for A2
Here are the pairs you will meet constantly, all with the accusative. warten auf (to wait for): Wir warten auf das Essen. denken an (to think of): Denkst du an den Termin? sprechen über (to talk about): Sie sprechen über die Arbeit. sich interessieren für (to be interested in): Er interessiert sich für Fußball. sich kümmern um (to take care of): Ich kümmere mich um die Kinder.
Two of these are reflexive verbs, which you know from the reflexive lesson — the reflexive pronoun stays right after the verb, and the preposition phrase follows: Ich interessiere mich für Musik.
Notice how the fixed preposition changes the meaning of a verb you already know. sprechen mit is to speak with a person; sprechen über is to talk about a topic. Both can even appear in one sentence: Ich spreche mit meiner Chefin über das Problem.
Wir warten schon zwanzig Minuten auf das Essen.
We have already been waiting twenty minutes for the food.
Er interessiert sich für alte Autos.
He is interested in old cars.
Reflexive verb + fixed preposition für.
Ich kümmere mich um die Katze.
I am taking care of the cat.
sich kümmern um + accusative.
Ich spreche mit meiner Chefin über das Problem.
I am talking with my boss about the problem.
mit for the person, über for the topic.
sich freuen auf or sich freuen über?
One verb deserves its own section, because it takes two different prepositions with two different meanings: sich freuen. With auf, you look forward to something that has not happened yet: Ich freue mich auf das Wochenende — the weekend is still ahead. With über, you are happy about something that is already here or has already happened: Ich freue mich über das Geschenk — the present is in your hands.
The time line is the whole trick. Future thing → auf. Present or past thing → über. A birthday next month: Ich freue mich auf meinen Geburtstag. A card that arrived this morning: Ich freue mich über die Karte.
This pair is worth drilling because both versions are extremely common in messages and small talk, and mixing them up is the classic A2 slip. Wir freuen uns auf euren Besuch is the standard warm closing line of an invitation — you will read and write it again and again.
Ich freue mich auf das Wochenende.
I am looking forward to the weekend.
auf — the weekend is still to come.
Sie freut sich über die Blumen.
She is happy about the flowers.
über — the flowers are already there.
Wir freuen uns auf euren Besuch.
We are looking forward to your visit.
The classic closing line of an invitation.
Asking about it: Auf wen? Worauf?
How do you ask a question about the thing after the preposition? German splits by person versus thing. For a person, use preposition + wen (accusative): Auf wen wartest du? — Auf meinen Bruder. For a thing, glue wo- onto the front of the preposition: Worauf wartest du? — Auf den Bus. If the preposition starts with a vowel, an r slips in for easier pronunciation: worauf, worüber, woran.
You do not need to master every wo-form at A2 — recognising them is enough, and actively using Worauf and Worüber already covers most situations. In the answer, simply repeat the preposition with its accusative object, exactly as in the examples above.
These verb-preposition pairs now connect to your whole toolkit: two-way prepositions gave you the forms, reflexives gave you sich freuen and sich interessieren, and this lesson glued them together. From here on, whenever you meet a new verb, ask: does it come with a preposition? If yes, note the pair — future lessons and real conversations will reward the habit.
Auf wen wartest du? — Auf meinen Kollegen.
Who are you waiting for? — For my colleague.
Person → preposition + wen.
Worauf wartet ihr? — Auf die Straßenbahn.
What are you waiting for? — For the tram.
Thing → wo(r) + preposition.
Worüber sprecht ihr?
What are you talking about?
Wofür interessierst du dich?
What are you interested in?
No vowel after wo-, so no extra r: wofür.
Check yourself
Quick checks on this lesson. Get at least three quarters right to mark it as completed.
Fill in the gap
Ich warte den Bus.
Hint: warten comes glued to this preposition — English for is no help here.