All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| zu | to or toward a destination | people, institutions, local destinations | Dative; zu dem → zum; zu der → zur |
| nach | to a place or direction | cities, articleless countries, home | Dative; proper names often show no case ending |
zu
Meaning and usage: Use zu when going to a person or to an ordinary destination such as a doctor, school or shop. It commonly points to the destination without explicitly saying you enter a building. The preposition has many other uses, including time expressions and the fixed location phrase zu Hause.
Grammar: Zu takes dative: zu meinem Bruder, zur Schule. Zum combines zu dem, and zur combines zu der. This preposition is distinct from infinitive zu and from the degree word in zu teuer.
Nach der Arbeit gehe ich zu meiner Freundin.
After work I go to my friend's place.
Morgen muss ich zum Arzt.
Tomorrow I have to go to the doctor.
nach
Meaning and usage: Use nach for an ordinary trip to a city or a country normally named without an article, and with expressions such as nach links or nach Hause. It also has a separate time meaning, after, so it does not always indicate a destination.
Grammar: Nach takes dative. Cities and articleless country names often do not display a dative article. Countries with an article commonly need another construction: in die Schweiz uses in plus accusative for a destination.
Wir fahren am Samstag nach Leipzig.
We are traveling to Leipzig on Saturday.
Sie fliegt nach Frankreich.
She is flying to France.
Ich gehe jetzt nach Hause.
I am going home now.
Overlap and context
Regional usage includes nach with people, such as nach Oma; for general learner writing, zu Oma is the safer ordinary pattern. Other prepositions are needed for some destinations: in die Schweiz, ins Kino or an den See. Zu Hause describes being at home; nach Hause describes heading home. Learn the full destination phrase rather than reducing every English 'to' to either word.
Common mistakes
- Do not write nach der Schweiz for an ordinary journey there; use in die Schweiz.
- For a person in general standard usage, use zu: zu meinem Freund.
- Do not swap zu Hause and nach Hause; they distinguish location from direction.
Memory aid: Zu visits people or local places; nach points to cities, articleless countries and home.
Try it
Fill both gaps: Ich bin ___ Hause. Später fahre ich ___ Berlin.
Show the answer
zu; nach
Zu Hause names the location. Nach Berlin names the city destination.