Accusative Preposition - für

German uses cases to show the role of a noun. The Accusative case usually marks the direct object. However, certain prepositions also trigger this case. für is the most common one. When you put a noun after für, you must change its article. If the noun is feminine, nothing changes. If the noun is neuter, nothing changes. If the noun is plural, nothing changes. Only the masculine gender likes to be difficult. The masculine article der changes to den. The indefinite article ein changes to einen. This is the "Accusative signal." It tells the listener exactly what is happening. It is like a grammar traffic light. Green means go, and den means Accusative. Even native speakers sometimes trip over other cases. But with für, they are always consistent. You can rely on this rule 100% of the time.

1. 1Building a sentence with für is a simple three-step process.
2. 2Start with the preposition für.
3. 3Choose the correct Accusative article based on the noun's gender.
4. 4Place the noun immediately after the article.
5. 5Let’s look at the articles you need:
6. 6Masculine: für den / für einen / für meinen
7. 7Feminine: für die / für eine / für meine
8. 8Neuter: für das / für ein / für mein
9. 9Plural: für die / für meine
10. 10Notice how only the masculine changes its ending to -en. It is the only one trying to stand out in the crowd. If you are talking about yourself or others, use Accusative pronouns. Use für mich (for me), für dich (for you), or für ihn (for him).

There are four main scenarios where you will need für. First, use it for gifts and recipients. Imagine you are at a birthday party. You hand over a present and say, "Das ist für dich." It feels good, right? Second, use it for a specific duration of time. If you are going to Berlin for a week, say: "Ich gehe für eine Woche nach Berlin." It sets a clear limit on your stay. Third, use it for prices and exchanges. If you buy a coffee for three Euros, say: "Ich kaufe einen Kaffee für drei Euro." It is a direct trade. Finally, use it to express purpose or benefit. You might go for a walk für die Gesundheit (for health). Or you might do a favor für einen Freund. It shows who or what benefits from an action. It is a very positive and helpful preposition.

Don't let English confuse you here. In English, we use "for" for many things. German is more specific. Do not use für when talking about how long you *have been* doing something. If you have lived in Munich for three years, use seit. Say: "Ich wohne seit drei Jahren in München." Using für here would sound like you plan to live there for only three years in the future. Also, do not use für to mean "to" a destination. If you are going to the doctor, use zu. für is about benefit, not direction. Lastly, avoid using it with the verb warten (to wait). In English, we wait "for" someone. In German, you wait "on" someone: warten auf. Using für with warten is a classic beginner mistake. It’s like wearing socks with sandals—technically possible, but everyone will notice.

The biggest mistake is forgetting the masculine change. Many people say für der Mann. This sounds very clunky to a German ear. Always remember: für den Mann. Another mistake is using the Dative case. Some learners think all prepositions use Dative. They might say für mir instead of für mich. This is a major red flag. für is strictly Accusative. Another slip-up is the seit vs für confusion we mentioned. If the action started in the past and is still happening, für is the wrong choice. Think of für as a container with a lid. It has a start and an end. seit is more like a flowing river starting from a point in the past. Keep these separate to sound like a pro.

Let’s compare für with zu. Both can sometimes translate to "for" or "to" in English. zu is often about a goal or a place. für is about the person or thing that gets the benefit. If you give a book zu a library, you are focusing on the destination. If you give it für a friend, you are focusing on the person. Also, compare für with um. Both are Accusative prepositions. However, um is about physical space (around) or specific clock times. für is about duration. If you say um eine Stunde, you mean "at one o'clock." If you say für eine Stunde, you mean "for a duration of one hour." These small differences change the whole meaning of your sentence.