The preposition "Von"

 In German, the preposition "von" is used with the dative case and often translates to "from," "of," or "by" in English. It indicates origin, possession, or the agent in passive sentences.

Examples:

• Origin: "Ich komme von der Arbeit." (I’m coming from work.)
• Possession: "Das Auto von meinem Freund." (The car of my friend.)
• Agent (in passive): "Das Buch wurde von dem Autor geschrieben." (The book was written by the author.)

The noun following "von" must be in the dative case:

Examples:

• der Freund → von dem Freund (of the friend)
• die Stadt → von der Stadt (of the city)
• die Freunde →  von den Freunden (of the friends)

The genitive case and the "von" + dative construction both express possession.

Here’s a comparison:

• Genitive case: "Das Auto meines Freundes" (The car of my friend)

  • meines Freundes is in the genitive case.
  • This construction is more formal and typically seen in written German or in formal speech.

• "von" + dative: "Das Auto von meinem Freund" (The car of my friend)

  • meinem Freund is in the dative case.
  • This is more common in everyday spoken German because it sounds more natural and is easier to use.

While both forms are correct and convey the same meaning, "von" + dative has become more popular in casual contexts, while the genitive form is more formal or literary.

"Von" +  Dative - Quiz

More about declension here.