Prepositions of Location: Cardinal Directions

TL;DR

When talking about cardinal directions in German, you generally use "im" (in dem) before the direction for "in the north/south/east/west." If you're describing movement to a direction, you'll use "nach" for countries/cities without articles or "in den/die/das" for regions/countries with articles. "Aus" or "von" are used for "from the north/south/east/west."

1. The Mental Model

Think of cardinal directions in German as specific locations on a map. You're either in them, moving to them, or coming from them. The prepositions change based on this "where" or "where to/from" idea.

2. The Core Material

When you want to say something is in a cardinal direction, you'll generally use im (which is a contraction of "in dem"). This applies to all four main directions.

• Norden (north)
• Süden (south)
• Osten (east)
• Westen (west)

So, "in the north" becomes im Norden. "In the south" is im Süden, and so on.

However, things change a bit when you're talking about movement.

• To say you're going to a direction, you'll often use nach (for countries/cities without an article, or for general directions like "nach Norden").
• If you're going into a region or country that uses an article (like "die Schweiz" - Switzerland), you'll use in den/die/das.

And for coming from a direction:

• You'll use aus (from inside) or von (from, generally).

Let's break down the main uses:

2.1 "In the..." (Location)

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For "in the north/south/east/west", use im + direction.

• Mein Haus liegt im Norden. (My house is in the north.)
• Die Sonne geht im Osten auf. (The sun rises in the east.)
• Die Alpen sind im Süden von Deutschland. (The Alps are in the south of Germany.)

2.2 "To the..." (Movement)

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This is where it gets a little more nuanced.

• Nach + direction: Use this for general movement towards a direction, or when you're going to a country/city that doesn't use an article.
  • Wir fahren nach Norden. (We are driving to the north.)
  • Ich fliege nach Süden. (I'm flying south.)
  • Er reist nach Berlin. (He's traveling to Berlin.)
• In den/die/das + direction/region: Use this when the direction or region is thought of as a specific area you are entering, often with an article.
  • Sie fährt in den Süden von Frankreich. (She's driving to the south of France.) - Here, "Süden" is modified by "von Frankreich."
  • Wir fliegen in die Schweiz. (We're flying to Switzerland.) - "Schweiz" is a country that uses "die."

2.3 "From the..." (Origin)

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• Aus + direction/region: Use this when coming out of a specific region or country.
  • Der Wind kommt aus dem Westen. (The wind comes from the west.)
  • Sie kommt aus der Schweiz. (She comes from Switzerland.)
• Von + direction/location: Use this for a more general "from" or when the origin isn't seen as coming out of something.
  • Die Post kommt von Süden. (The mail comes from the south.)
  • Er kommt von Berlin. (He comes from Berlin.) - Nach is "to Berlin," von is "from Berlin."

Here's a diagram to help visualize the main choices:

graph TD
    A["Talking about Cardinal Directions"] --> B{Is it about...};

    B --> C{"Location ('in the...')"};
    C --> D["im + Norden/Süden/Osten/Westen"];

    B --> E{"Movement TO ('to the...')"};
    E --> F{"General direction / No article country?"};
    F --> G["nach + Norden/Süden/Osten/Westen"];
    F --> H{"Specific region / Country with article?"};
    H --> I["in den/die/das + Norden/Süden/Osten/Westen (e.g., von X) / country"];

    B --> J{"Movement FROM ('from the...')"};
    J --> K{"Coming OUT OF a region/country?"};
    K --> L["aus + dem/der/den + Norden/Süden/Osten/Westen (e.g., von X) / country"];
    J --> M{"General 'from'?"};
    M --> N["von + Norden/Süden/Osten/Westen"];

3. Worked Example

Let's imagine you're talking about a trip to Austria.

1. Location: Austria is in the south of Germany.
   • Österreich liegt im Süden von Deutschland.
2. Movement To: You're driving to Austria.
   • Wir fahren nach Österreich. (Austria doesn't take an article here.)
3. Movement To (specific part): You're driving to the west of Austria.
   • Wir fahren in den Westen von Österreich. (Here, "Westen" is seen as a specific part, modified by "von Österreich.")
4. Movement From: You're coming from the south.
   • Wir kommen aus dem Süden.
5. Movement From (country): You're coming from Austria.
   • Wir kommen aus Österreich.

4. Key Takeaways

• Use im for stating something is in a cardinal direction (e.g., im Norden).
• Use nach for general movement to a cardinal direction or to countries/cities without articles (e.g., nach Süden, nach Berlin).
• Use in den/die/das when moving into a specific region or a country/area that takes an article (e.g., in den Westen, in die Schweiz).
• Use aus for coming from inside a cardinal direction or a region/country (e.g., aus dem Osten, aus Deutschland).
• Use von for a more general "from" a direction or location (e.g., von Norden).
• Remember that "im" is a contraction of "in dem," which helps you remember it's related to the dative case for location.

Common mistakes to avoid:

Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels

• Don't use "nach" when you mean "in the" (e.g., "nach Norden" for location is wrong, use "im Norden").
• Don't forget the article when needed with "in den/die/das" or "aus dem/der/den."
• Confusing "nach" for movement with "aus" for origin – they're opposites.
• Assuming "von" works for every "from" situation; "aus" is often more specific for origin.

5. Now Try It

Think about your own country or region. Describe where your hometown is in relation to its cardinal directions (e.g., "My city is in the east of the country"). Then, write a sentence about where you would go if you traveled to a specific cardinal direction from your current location (e.g., "I would drive to the north to see the mountains"). Finally, write a sentence about where you'd be coming from if you arrived from a specific cardinal direction (e.g., "The wind usually comes from the west here"). Aim for three complete German sentences. Success looks like correctly using "im," "nach," or "aus/von" with the appropriate cardinal direction.