PrepositionA1

bei

at, near (a place or person) · with (a person, at their home or workplace) · during, while (an activity or event) · in the case of, with (circumstances)

Bei is a common German preposition meaning 'at', 'near', 'with', or 'during'. It always takes the dative case. It is used for locations, people, activities, and circumstances.

What bei means

  1. at, near (a place or person) — indicating proximity or location, often with a person or place
  2. with (a person, at their home or workplace) — indicating being at someone's place or in their company
  3. during, while (an activity or event) — used with verbal nouns to indicate simultaneous action
  4. in the case of, with (circumstances) — indicating conditions or circumstances

Heard in real German videos

Lines where bei was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.

  • Patrick, ist alles klar bei dir?Patrick, are you okay?
  • Der ist bei Mama da draußen.He's out there with Mama.
  • Weihnachten bei den Healers.Christmas at the Healers'.

Example sentences

  • Ich bin bei meiner Freundin.I am at my girlfriend's place.
  • Beim Essen sehen wir fern.We watch TV while eating.
  • Bei Regen bleiben wir zu Hause.When it rains, we stay at home.
  • Er arbeitet bei einer Bank.He works at a bank.

Grammar

Casedative
Contractionbei + dem = beim

Always followed by the dative case. The contraction 'beim' is used before masculine and neuter nouns.

Common phrases

  • bei unsat our place, with us
  • beim Altenas before, unchanged
  • bei der Arbeitat work
  • bei mirat my place, with me

The mistake English speakers make

English speakers often use 'mit' instead of 'bei' when meaning 'at someone's place' or 'with a company'. Use 'bei' for location or employment, not 'mit'.

Don’t confuse it with

  • mit — Mit means 'with' in the sense of together with a person or thing, while bei means 'at' or 'near' or 'at the place of'.
  • an — An is used for locations with direct contact or specific points (am Tisch, an der Tür), while bei is more general proximity or at a person's place.

Questions learners ask

When do I use 'bei' vs 'mit'?

Use 'bei' for location (at someone's place, at a company) and 'mit' for accompaniment (together with someone). Example: 'Ich bin bei meiner Oma' (I'm at grandma's) vs 'Ich gehe mit meiner Oma' (I'm going with grandma).

What case does 'bei' take?

Bei always takes the dative case. For example: 'bei dem Mann' (with the man), 'bei der Frau' (with the woman), 'bei den Kindern' (with the children).

What does 'beim' mean?

Beim is the contraction of 'bei dem' and is used before masculine and neuter nouns in the dative. It often means 'at the' or 'while doing'. Example: 'beim Essen' (while eating).

Related words

anmitzu