hinter
behind
Indicates a position in a place (where?). Used with the dative.
EXAMPLE
Der Garten befindet sich hinter dem Haus.
The garden is located behind the house.
hinter
behind
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Meanings
hinter
behind
Indicates movement in a direction (to where?). Used with the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Der Ball rollte hinter das Sofa.
The ball rolled behind the sofa.
hinter jemandem stehen
to stand behind someone
To support someone or be loyal to someone.
EXAMPLE
Egal, was passiert, deine Familie wird immer hinter dir stehen.
No matter what happens, your family will always stand behind you.
hinter
behind
Describes a rank or position in an order, often in the sense of 'worse than' or 'after'.
EXAMPLE
Im Wettbewerb landete er weit hinter seinen Konkurrenten.
In the competition, he finished far behind his competitors.
Usage tips
Two-way preposition
'Hinter' (behind) is a two-way preposition. If you can ask 'Wo?' (where?), use the dative. If you can ask 'Wohin?' (to where?), use the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Die Katze schläft hinter dem Sessel. (Wo? -> Dativ)
The cat is sleeping behind the armchair. (Where? -> dative)
Fixed expression
The idiom 'hinter jemandem stehen' (to stand behind someone) means to support someone loyally. In this expression, 'hinter' (behind) is always used with the dative because 'stehen' (to stand) describes a position.
EXAMPLE
Ich weiß, dass meine Freunde in dieser schweren Zeit hinter mir stehen.
I know that my friends stand behind me during this difficult time.
Context clue
In contexts of competition, sports, or performance, 'hinter' (behind) often means that someone has a lower rank or a worse position. It is used with the dative here.
EXAMPLE
Bei der Weltmeisterschaft landete das Team auf dem Platz hinter dem Favoriten.
At the world championship, the team finished in the place behind the favorite.
Typical collocations
There are several fixed expressions with 'hinter' (behind). 'Hinter dem Rücken von jemandem reden' (to talk behind someone's back) means to gossip, and 'etwas hinter sich haben' (to have something behind oneself) means to have finished something exhausting.
EXAMPLE
Ich mag es nicht, wenn Leute hinter meinem Rücken über mich reden.
I don't like it when people talk about me behind my back.
Compare with
hinter vs nach
to / after / according to
Nach and hinter can both describe a position in a sequence. Nach mainly establishes the order: one person arrives later. Hinter places more emphasis on a lower rank or being behind. Use nach for the order, and hinter when the distance or the worse position is important.
hinter
Im Rennen lag Lea hinter Tom.
Lea was behind Tom in the race.
nach
Im Ziel kam Lea nach Tom an.
Lea arrived after Tom at the finish line.
In real life
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