entlang

German

Alternative forms

• lang (chiefly colloquial; postposition only)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German entlanc, cognate with German in lang (with a gliding sound -t-).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛntˈlaŋ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aŋ

Adverb

entlang

1. along

   Ich gehe an dem Fluss entlang.

   I'm walking along the river.

   (Here, Fluss is in dative because it is governed by an.)

   Ich gehe hier entlang.

   I'm walking this way.

Preposition

entlang

1. along; indicates location or movement
   1. [with genitive]

      Entlang des Flusses stehen viele Bäume.

      Along the river there are many trees.

      Ich gehe entlang des Flusses.

      I'm walking along the river.

   2. (colloquial) [with dative]

      Entlang dem Fluss stehen viele Bäume.

      Along the river there are many trees.

Postposition

entlang [with accusative]

1. along; indicates movement

   Ich gehe den Fluss entlang.

   I'm walking along the river.

Usage notes

• A general tendency is to use the preposition with verbs showing location and the postposition with verbs of motion.
• Postpositional usage is alternatively analyzable as part of a separable verb (such as entlanggehen). It cannot be used with verbs showing location. For example, one would not say *Den Fluss entlang stehen viele Bäume.

Further reading

• “entlang” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “entlang” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “entlang as preposition” in Duden online
• “entlang as adverb” in Duden online