I. Theory
Like in English, there are many verbs in German that are followed by prepositions. These prepositions show how the action is being done to the verb and thus are usually found in between the verb and its object. If we take the example of “to look after” and compare it to “to look for,” we see how important it is that the correct preposition is used. It is best to memorize each German verb and its preposition as some verbs do not take the same preposition as they do in English.| Ich interessiere mich für Architektur. I am interested in architecture. Wir sind spät, weil ich mich in der Zeit des Termins geirrt habe. We are late because I was wrong about the time of the appointment. Die Dorfbewohner glauben an verschiedene Aberglauben. The villagers believe in various superstitions. |
As you can see in the examples above, the prepositions do not match their English counterparts and therefore cannot be translated literally.