Ich stelle das Buch auf den Tisch.
English: I put the book on the table.
- Language
- German
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Nomen, Fälle und Pronomen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In German, some prepositions can be used with either the dative or the accusative case. Which case you use depends on whether the sentence shows movement (accusative) or location (dative).
When to use it
Use these prepositions with dative when you talk about where something is (location). Use them with accusative when you talk about movement towards a place (direction).
Key forms
- an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen
- Dative: Ich bin in der Schule.
- Accusative: Ich gehe in die Schule.
Examples
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
English: The book is lying on the table.
Wir gehen in das Kino.
English: We are going into the cinema.
Wir sind im Kino.
English: We are in the cinema.
Die Katze schläft unter dem Bett.
English: The cat is sleeping under the bed.
Tips
- Remember: Movement = accusative, location = dative.
- Pay attention to the article changes: 'der' becomes 'dem' (dative) and 'den' (accusative).
- Some verbs always show movement or location, so check the verb meaning.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs or phrases always require a certain case, even if the meaning is about movement or location. Learn these expressions separately.