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I would like to know if these examples are correct or if it would be better to rather say it differently using another preposition. Are these lists correct? These are the rules I follow.
Here they are.

To the question

WO?

I answer in these case like this:

  • AUF + DAT : Ich bin auf dem Berg, dem Platz, der Insel, der Post, der Bank, der Uni, der Party, dem Land (to the countryside, not meant like "nation" ), der Straße;
  • AN + DAT : Ich warte auf dich an der Haltestelle, der Uni, dem Tisch, dem Meer, dem Fluss, dem See;
  • BEI + DAT : Ich bin bei dem Training, dem Konzert.

What would you choose between these next lists? Are they all possible or is one more common? These answer

WOHIN?

  • ZU + DAT : Ich gehe zu dem Berg, dem Platz, der Insel, der Post, der Bank, der Uni, der Party, dem Land (to the countryside, not meant like "nation" ), der Straße, der Haltestelle, der Uni, dem Tisch, dem Meer, dem Fluss, dem See, dem Training, dem Konzert;

  • AUF + AKK : Ich gehe auf den Berg, den Platz, die Insel, die Post, die Bank, die Uni, die Party, den Land (to the countryside, not meant like "nation" ), die Straße, die Haltestelle, den Tisch, den Meer, den Fluss, den See, den Training, den Konzert;

  • AN + AKK : Ich gehe an die Uni, den Tisch, den Meer, den Fluss, den See, die Haltestelle.

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  • Note that bei dem becomes beim, an dem becomes am, zu dem becomes zum and auf das becomes aufs. But also note that you can't dissolve everything in reverse. A common example is the superlative: am schnellsten =/= an dem schnellsten
    – user9104
    Jan 16, 2015 at 12:37
  • @Peasant you are right, but sometimes we just need to make some "Betonung" that's why we say: "Bei dem Haus" or "Zu dem Restaurant" in case we mean some specific Haus/Restaurant.
    – xdeveloper
    Jan 16, 2015 at 18:50
  • Strangely, "at" seems to me strange for places of events. Instead of "an" it's: "Die Band spielt auf dem Fest." May 24, 2017 at 4:25

1 Answer 1

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There's no error in the first part (wo?). At least, I didn't spot any.

There are just a few errors in the second part (wohin?). Though, a few notes on that.

  • Using "gehen" is not idiomatic for all these examples. For example, you don't go to an island and you don't go on the sea. Technically, you can create some context where go is appropriate, but it's uncommon.
  • I'm sure you know that, but just for reference: "Ich gehe zu dem Berg" means that you go to the mountain but you don't climb it. This is pretty uncommon. You would go "auf den Berg". Same is true for "Insel". Actually, this holds true for all examples, but there both variants are common. Just bear in mind: There's a difference in meaning between "auf", "an" and "zu". As in English: "go to" vs "go onto" vs "go at". So, you could even say "Ich gehe an den Berg", but that's usually not what you'd like to communicate.
  • You don't go "zu dem Land" or "auf den Land". You go either "auf das Land" (note the other article) or "in das Land" (can be both, countryside and nation).
  • "Ich gehe zu der Post/Bank" and "Ich gehe auf die Post/Bank" sounds both good to me, but I believe the latter one is only regionally OK. Not quite sure on that, though. Maybe someone can comment on that!?
  • You would go "auf das Meer" and "an das Meer". You've taken the wrong declension. (Remember, you wouldn't really go there.)
  • You go "an den See" (lake) or "an die See" (ocean).
  • You would usually contract "zu dem" zu "zum", "auf das" zu "aufs" etc.
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  • You can go "aufs Land" (country side, not nation), like Elisabetta correctly said.
    – Robert
    Jan 16, 2015 at 23:14
  • Ich benutze ebenfalls sowohl "auf die Bank" als auch "zur Bank".
    – Robert
    Jan 16, 2015 at 23:14
  • This is an important post and I'm a bit confused now. For instance "Er fährt auf die Berge zu." means he drives towards the mountain. It would help if you could put the respective translations in corresponding order here: "auf", "an" and "zu". As in English: "go to" vs "go onto" vs "go at". And also add what "Ich gehe an den Berg" means in German. May 14, 2017 at 13:10

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