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I am proud of you because of your good grades.
Ich bin stolz auf dich wegen deiner guten Noten.

Why can’t we use von instead of auf?

Ich bin stolz von dir wegen deiner guten Noten.

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    Why can't you say "I am proud from you" in English? Same question, same answer: because it is nonsense and not the way that is defined for "stolz sein"....
    – Tode
    Sep 18 '20 at 7:29
  • von also means of . That is the question here.
    – Noisha Studieren
    Sep 18 '20 at 8:31
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    These questions are quite common but new language learners have to accept that you can not infer any rules or logic from language X to language Y. Languages evolved differently and while English requires preposition X in one case, German uses preposition Y. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but that's just how it is. There's no magic formula or way of the Gods, that explains this.
    – infinitezero
    Sep 18 '20 at 10:05
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    Well, perhaps way back in the past, "Ich bin deiner stolz" (with genitive case) might have been possible along the English construction. Also note that you were not bothered by the "of" in "because of" not appearing as an explicit "von"
    – Hagen von Eitzen
    Sep 19 '20 at 7:58
  • @infinitezero totally agree, but as a learners it is better to clear out doubts and having another language translation is a way of learning. Sometimes, there are reasons for concepts and if we simply accept without questioning then might miss out actual grammar rules.
    – Noisha Studieren
    Sep 21 '20 at 4:35
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Stolz sein auf is a phrasal verb. It's the same as with warten auf. There is no deeper reason why the preposition auf is correct and other prepositions aren't. You have to memorize phrasal verbs as you have to memorize prefixed verbs.

And of course, there are even prefixed phrasal verbs as aufpassen auf. It's one of the most popular prepositions for phrasal verbs in German.

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  • I think it's more that stolz just happens to require auf when you want to tell what is making someone proud. Ich wurde noch stolzer auf sie, does not use sein, nor Ich bleibe stolz auf sie, and Sie sieht stolz auf mich aus. A phrasal verb would require a specific verb.
    – RDBury
    Sep 20 '20 at 10:00
  • Sein, werden and bleiben are the three main copula verbs and those function all the same. They take a supplement and attach it to the subject. Your last example seems a bit off to me. I would understand it also as a coupler phrase.
    – Janka
    Sep 20 '20 at 13:00
  • @Janka Thank you for the clarification :)
    – Noisha Studieren
    Sep 21 '20 at 4:38

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