German

Alternative forms

• lang (chiefly colloquial; postposition only)

Postposition

entlang ‎(+ accusative or with an + dative)

1. along

   Ich gehe den Fluss entlang.‎

   I walk along the river.

   Ich gehe an dem Fluss entlang.‎

   I walk along the river.

Preposition

entlang ‎(+ genitive or dative)

1. along

   Ich gehe entlang des Flusses.‎

   I walk along the river.

   Ich gehe entlang dem Fluss.‎

   I walk along the river.

Usage notes

• The postposition usage is more common than the preposition, not only but particularly in speech.
• Apart from the ways of construction mentioned above, additional ones are possible in older or regional usage. One may still hear the postposition used with a bare dative: Ich gehe dem Fluss entlang. The preposition has also been construed with the accusative: Ich gehe entlang den Fluss. The latter is now nonstandard, however.