Statt vs instatt in German

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Statt and statt are both words meaning "instead of," but only Statt (capitalized) functions as a preposition and/or noun, while statt (lowercase) is the past tense of sein ("was" as a past tense of "is").

Common uses:

• Statt + genitive/nominal phrase = instead of
  • Ich trinke Wasser statt Saft. = I drink water instead of juice.
  • Statt eines Apfels nehme ich eine Banane. = Instead of an apple, I’ll take a banana.
• Statt + zu + infinitive = instead of doing / in place of doing
  • Statt zu arbeiten, habe ich ferngesehen. = Instead of working, I watched TV.
• Statt + that (in some contexts, more formal) = instead
  • Statt dass er kommt, bleibt er zu Hause. = Instead of coming, he’s staying at home.

statt (lowercase) = past tense of sein ("was") when used as a simple past:

• Er stat alles. = He was everything / He was all ones needs (rare, poetic)

Related Topics: German prepositions, Past tense (Präteritum), Infinitive clauses

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