From (someone) in German 🇩🇪

von info.

To remember the German preposition “von,” you might think of it as the start of “von-something,” akin to “from-something” in English. In both instances, you’re indicating origin or source. In English, someone might say, “I got a gift from Andy.” In German, you would say, “Ich habe ein Geschenk von Andy bekommen.”

Additional words that convey a similar meaning to “von”:

1. “Aus” – It’s generally used when talking about origin with cities and countries. For example, “Ich komme aus Deutschland” means “I come from Germany.”

2. “Ab” – In some contexts, ab can mean from a certain point in time or place, but it’s not interchangeable with “von.” For example, “Ab morgen bin ich im Urlaub” means “From tomorrow, I’ll be on holiday.”

“Von” can also have alternate meanings such as indicating possession, which relates to the genitive case in German. This use is becoming somewhat less common in favor of the dative with “von.” For example, “Das Auto von meinem Freund” which means “My friend’s car” (literally, “The car of my friend”).

Here are some example sentences using “von”:

1. Ich habe eine Nachricht von meinem Bruder erhalten. (I have received a message from my brother.)
2. Die Idee stammt von ihr. (The idea comes from her.)
3. Er lebt von seiner Kunst. (He lives off his art.)
4. Das Bild an der Wand ist von einem berühmten Künstler. (The picture on the wall is by a famous artist.)
5. Sie spricht oft von dir. (She often speaks of you.)

As for slang or colloquial use, “von” doesn’t undergo significant change in informal contexts, maintaining its role as a preposition to indicate origin, source, or belonging.

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