The usual translation of with in German is mit. You can use it for being with another person, using a tool, traveling by a form of transport, or describing something that includes an ingredient. The key grammar rule is simple to state: mit takes the dative case. Learning a few complete phrases will help you apply that rule naturally.
Quick answer:
With = mit. “With me” is mit mir, “with you” is mit dir informally, and “with milk” is mit Milch.
How Do You Say With in German?
Mit is the main word to learn for “with.” It is a preposition, so it stands before the person or thing it introduces. Mit meiner Schwester means “with my sister,” while mit einem Stift means “with a pen.” In both expressions, the words following mit take dative forms.
Example: Ich komme mit dir. — I’m coming with you.
English “with” covers several relationships, and German does not always use the same preposition for all of them. Start with the common meanings of mit, then learn the complete German expression when a particular verb or situation uses something else. This is more reliable than replacing every English “with” mechanically.
The Goethe-Institut’s A1 grammar overview includes mit among the prepositions followed by the dative. That fixed pattern applies whether the sentence describes movement or staying in one place.
Common Uses of Mit
1. Mit for People and Companionship
Use mit when someone accompanies another person: Ich gehe mit meiner Freundin ins Kino — “I’m going to the cinema with my friend.” It also appears with activities people do together, as in mit Freunden essen, “to eat with friends.” The phrase answers the question mit wem?, “with whom?”
For emphasis, you can add zusammen: zusammen mit meinen Freunden means “together with my friends.” The extra word highlights the shared activity, but it does not change the dative requirement after mit.
2. Mit for Tools and Means
Mit also introduces a tool: Ich schreibe mit einem Stift means “I write with a pen.” For transport, English often uses “by,” while German uses mit: mit dem Bus, “by bus,” and mit dem Zug, “by train.” The translation therefore changes even though the German preposition stays the same.
3. Mit for Ingredients and Features
Kaffee mit Milch means “coffee with milk.” Ein Zimmer mit Balkon is “a room with a balcony.” These phrases describe what is included or what feature something has. A noun can appear without an article in some common expressions, which means you may not see an obvious dative ending every time.
If you say mit einem Balkon, the article einem makes the dative visible. The absence of an article in mit Balkon does not mean that the preposition has stopped governing the dative. It simply means that the phrase has no article to display that change.
4. When English With Becomes Bei
When “with” means staying at someone’s home or being at their place, German often uses bei. Ich wohne bei meiner Schwester means “I live with my sister” in the sense of living at her place. Ich bin bei Anna means “I’m at Anna’s” or “I’m with Anna” in an appropriate location context.
Compare Ich bin mit Anna im Café — “I’m at the café with Anna.” Here Anna accompanies the speaker, so mit fits. The choice is about the relationship you want to express: companionship, location at someone’s place, or another meaning supplied by the sentence.
With in German: Quick Comparison
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| German expression | English meaning | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| mit meiner Schwester | with my sister | Companionship |
| mit einem Stift | with a pen | A tool |
| mit dem Bus | by bus | Transport |
| mit Milch | with milk | An ingredient |
| mit Balkon | with a balcony | A feature |
| bei meiner Schwester | at my sister’s / with my sister | Staying at her place |
| ohne Milch | without milk | The opposite relationship; ohne takes accusative |
How to Pronounce Mit
Mit is one short syllable, approximately like English “mitt.” Its vowel is short, closer to the vowel in “sit” than the long vowel in “meet.” Finish with a clear t. Do not lengthen the word into “meet,” which gives it a different sound.
Practice the word with the phrase that follows it. Mit mir and mit dir are compact expressions, while mit meiner Schwester has a longer rhythm. You do not need to emphasize mit heavily unless you are contrasting “with” and “without.” The main stress will often fall on the important person or thing.
Using the Dative After Mit
After mit, the definite articles are dem for masculine and neuter singular nouns, der for feminine singular nouns, and den for plural nouns. Learn the noun’s gender alongside the word, then practice the whole dative phrase.
- der Bus → mit dem Bus — by bus
- das Kind → mit dem Kind — with the child
- die Freundin → mit der Freundin — with the female friend
- die Freunde → mit den Freunden — with the friends
- ein Stift → mit einem Stift — with a pen
- eine Freundin → mit einer Freundin — with a female friend
Many plural nouns add -n in the dative if they do not already end in -n or -s: Freunde becomes Freunden. Plurals already ending in -n, such as Frauen, do not take another one. Plurals in -s, such as Autos, also keep that form.
Do not decide the case by asking only whether someone is moving. Ich fahre mit dem Bus describes movement, but mit dem Bus remains dative. The movement-versus-location distinction applies to two-way prepositions such as an and auf (“on”) or in; it does not make mit alternate between accusative and dative.
With Me, With You, and With Us
Personal pronouns also change to dative forms. These short expressions are especially useful because you can learn them as complete units.
- mit mir — with me
- mit dir — with you, informal singular
- mit ihm — with him / with it, depending on the noun
- mit ihr — with her / with it, depending on the noun
- mit uns — with us
- mit euch — with you, informal plural
- mit ihnen — with them
- mit Ihnen — with you, formal
The capital letter in Ihnen distinguishes formal “you” in writing. In speech, context shows whom the speaker means. For example, Kann ich mit Ihnen sprechen? is a polite way to ask “May I speak with you?” With a friend, you would normally use mit dir.
Example Sentences Using With
Read each sentence as a complete pattern. The examples include companionship, an ingredient, and a polite request, so you can see how the same preposition works in different situations.
Use: Meinen Freunden is dative plural. The plural noun adds -n after Freunde.
Use: Mit Milch describes an ingredient. No article is needed before Milch in this expression.
Use: Mit Ihnen is formal. Use mit dir when speaking informally to one person.
A useful question is Kommst du mit? — “Are you coming along?” Here mit functions as the separated part of mitkommen, rather than introducing a following noun phrase. It is related to the idea of accompanying someone, but its position follows the verb’s sentence pattern.
Common Mistakes
Avoid mit ich and mit du; use mit mir and mit dir. Avoid using the nominative article in mit der Bus; the correct phrase is mit dem Bus. The preposition determines the case even when the phrase describes a moving vehicle.
Also remember that English “with” is not a guarantee that German needs mit. Learn phrases about living or staying at someone’s place with bei, and learn fixed verb-preposition combinations together. A sentence-level example will usually make the distinction easier to remember than an isolated English translation.
Frequently Asked Questions About With in German
Tap a question below to see the answer.
What is the German word for with?
The usual word is mit. It can introduce a companion, a tool, a means of transport, an ingredient, or a feature. The full sentence determines whether another preposition is needed.
Does mit take dative or accusative?
As a preposition, mit takes the dative. Say mit dem Bus, mit einer Freundin, and mit mir. Movement does not change this rule.
How do I say with me and with you?
Mit mir means “with me.” Mit dir is informal singular “with you,” while mit Ihnen is formal. Use mit euch for informal plural “you.”
Why is by bus translated as mit dem Bus?
German uses mit for a means of transport in expressions such as mit dem Bus and mit dem Zug. English commonly uses “by” in the same situation.
What is the difference between mit and bei?
Mit often expresses companionship or means. Bei can express being at someone’s place: bei meiner Schwester. Choose according to the relationship you mean.
What does Kommst du mit mean?
It means “Are you coming along?” The mit is the separated part of the verb mitkommen. It does not introduce a noun phrase in this particular question.
Summary
With in German is usually mit. Practice mit mir, mit dir, mit Milch, and mit dem Bus. The most important grammar rule is that the preposition takes the dative, including in sentences about movement.
Use mit for many expressions of companionship, means, and included features. When the meaning concerns staying at someone’s place, bei may be the natural choice. Learning complete phrases will help you translate “with” accurately in everyday conversation.
