Prepositions connect words and groups of words together. They express the relation between living beings, things or contexts. Verbs with fixed prepositions, however, connect the verb with an object. So in this case, the prepositions don't provide a context for time or location, but instead, are used idiomatically with the verb. Sometimes they can even change the meaning of the verb.
| Verb | Prepositional object | |||
| Ich |
freue mich |
über das Geschenk. (= I received the present and I’m glad about it.) |
||
| Ich |
freue mich |
auf das Geschenk. (= I have not received the present yet but I am looking forward to it.) |
Question words with "wo(r)" + preposition
To inquire about the prepositional object, you say:
"wo" + preposition
Ich träume von einer eigenen Familie.
— Wovon träumst du?
If the preposition begins with a vowel:
"wo + r" + preposition
Erinnerst du dich an unseren ersten Kuss?
— Woran soll ich mich erinnern?
Ich muss über etwas sprechen.
— Worüber möchtest du sprechen?
More:
When asking about living beings, you use the preposition + "wen" or "wem". The preposition determines the case of the question word.
Examples:
Ich träume von Julia — Von wem träumst du?
Erinnerst du dich an Nick? — An wen soll ich mich erinnern?
Ich muss über den Pinguin sprechen. — Über wen möchtest du sprechen?