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preposition · A2 · very often · UK/US

zu

towards

Meaning of zu

In the direction of something.

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How important is this word
A2very often

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Pronunciation
German/tsuː/
Chinese pronunciation in Latin letterscháo
towards
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zu with Chinese translation

zu usage examples

🇨🇳Chinese🇩🇪German

Er geht zu dem Fenster.

🇨🇳Chinese🇩🇪German

Der Hund läuft zu mir.

Learn by topic

zu belongs to the topic "Top 5000". Start with a short 7-word set so the word is easier to remember in context.

zu
in在……里
auf在……上
über在……上方
unter在……下面
vor在……之前
nach在……之后

zu synonyms

Related word breakdowns

What's the difference between zu / auf / hin zu / gegen / nach / bei

A
🇩🇪German
auf

Indicates movement toward a surface, goal, or destination, often in combinations like "auf etwas zu". It can express a more concrete approach.

A2Very Often
H
🇩🇪German
hin zu

Emphasizes direction of movement or development toward something. It sounds a bit more formal and clearly points to a target.

A2Often
G
🇩🇪German
gegen

Can mean movement "toward" something, but it also often expresses opposition or collision. In the directional sense, it is not as neutral as "zu".

A2Often
N
🇩🇪German
nach

Most often indicates direction to a city, country, or place rather than a general "towards". It is also used for "after" and in other constructions.

A2Very Often
B
🇩🇪German
bei

Means "at, by, near" and indicates being close to someone or something, not movement toward it. It only matches "towards" very indirectly.

A2Very Often
V
🇩🇪German
von

Means "from" and shows the starting point of movement or origin. It is more the opposite direction of "towards".

A2Very Often

What's the difference

Related words and lists for zu

How to pronounce zu and what this word means

zu means towards. This page includes translation, pronunciation, transcription, audio, usage examples and related words.

how to pronounce zu

/tsuː/

zu translation

towards

zu examples

Er geht zu dem Fenster.

zu transcription

/tsuː/

Questions about this word

zu meaning: what does it mean?

Bezeichnet eine Richtung auf etwas hin.

zu pronunciation: how do you pronounce it?

zu is pronounced as /tsuː/. Audio is available on this page when the word has a recording.

zu definition and sentence examples: how is it used in a sentence?

Er geht zu dem Fenster. Translation: Он идёт к окну.

Audio practiceExamplesSmart repeats

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