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German 2 Unit 4: Two-Way Prepositions

Nine German prepositions can take either the accusative or the dative, depending on whether the sentence describes motion toward a place or a location. This unit teaches the rule and the verb pairs that go with it.

Covers: The nine two-way prepositions, Wo? (dative) versus wohin? (accusative), Contractions am, im, ans, ins, Placement verbs: legen, stellen, setzen, hängen, Position verbs: liegen, stehen, sitzen, hängen, Two-way prepositions in time expressions

Study guide

The two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen) are an (at, on a vertical surface, to the edge of), auf (on top of a horizontal surface, onto), hinter (behind), in (in, into), neben (next to), über (over, above), unter (under, below), vor (in front of) and zwischen (between). Unlike mit or für, they do not have a fixed case. Instead, the meaning of the sentence decides. When the sentence describes a destination, answering the question wohin? (where to?), use the accusative. When it describes a location, answering the question wo? (where?), use the dative. So Ich gehe in die Küche (I go into the kitchen) is accusative, but Ich bin in der Küche (I am in the kitchen) is dative.

The test is not simply whether there is movement, but whether there is movement toward a new place. In Ich laufe im Park (I run in the park), there is movement, but it happens inside one location, so the dative im Park is correct. In Ich laufe in den Park (I run into the park), the park is the destination, so it is accusative. A helpful way to think: accusative means crossing a boundary or arriving somewhere; dative means staying within a location. Several prepositions contract with the article: an dem → am, in dem → im (dative), an das → ans, in das → ins (accusative), and in speech auf das → aufs.

German has pairs of verbs that make the case choice clearer. The placement verbs describe putting something somewhere, take a direct object, and are weak: legen (to lay down), stellen (to stand upright), setzen (to set, seat) and hängen (to hang something up). With these verbs, the two-way preposition takes the accusative: Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. The position verbs describe where something is, take no direct object, and are strong: liegen (to lie), stehen (to stand), sitzen (to sit) and hängen (to be hanging). With these the preposition takes the dative: Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.

The verb pairs also differ in the past. Placement verbs are weak with haben: Ich habe die Flasche in den Kühlschrank gestellt. Position verbs are strong: Die Flasche hat im Kühlschrank gestanden; liegen becomes gelegen, sitzen becomes gesessen, and the intransitive hängen becomes gehangen, while the transitive hängen becomes gehängt. In German the choice between legen and stellen depends on the object's shape and position: flat things like books, phones and papers are gelegt and liegen; tall or upright things like bottles, lamps and vases are gestellt and stehen. People sit (sitzen) after someone or something sets them (setzen).

Some two-way prepositions are also used in time expressions, and these always take the dative. An is used with days and parts of the day: am Montag, am Abend, am Wochenende. In is used with months, seasons, years with im Jahr, and future periods: im Juli, im Winter, in einer Stunde (in an hour). Vor with the dative means ago: vor drei Tagen. Zwischen can also be temporal: zwischen dem ersten und dem dritten Mai. Finally, many verbs combine with a fixed preposition whose case must be learned with the verb, regardless of location. With auf and über it is usually the accusative: warten auf (wait for), denken an (think of), sich freuen auf (look forward to) and sprechen über (talk about). A few take the dative, such as Angst haben vor and teilnehmen an.

Key ideas

• An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen take accusative or dative depending on meaning.
• Wohin? (destination, change of place) takes the accusative.
• Wo? (location, no change of place) takes the dative, even if there is movement within the place.
• Placement verbs legen, stellen, setzen and hängen (transitive) pair with the accusative.
• Position verbs liegen, stehen, sitzen and hängen (intransitive) pair with the dative.
• Time expressions with an, in and vor take the dative: am Montag, im Mai, vor einer Woche.
• Verb + preposition combinations like warten auf and denken an take the accusative, but the case must be learned with each verb.

Formulas and rules

Common mistakes

• Choosing the accusative whenever there is any movement, as in Ich schwimme in den See when the swimming stays inside the lake.
• Mixing up legen and liegen or stellen and stehen.
• Using ins or ans for location (Ich bin ins Kino) instead of im or am.
• Using the accusative in time expressions such as vor drei Tage instead of vor drei Tagen.
• Using stellen for flat objects or legen for upright objects.

Before the test, make sure you can

• List the nine two-way prepositions from memory.
• Decide between accusative and dative with the wo?/wohin? test.
• Use the contractions am, im, ans and ins correctly.
• Choose between legen/liegen, stellen/stehen, setzen/sitzen and hängen.
• Form the Perfekt of placement and position verbs.
• Use an, in and vor in time expressions with the dative.
• Describe where things are in a room and where you put them.

Words to know

an

at, on (vertical)

auf

on (horizontal)

hinter

behind

in

in, into

neben

next to

über

over, above

unter

under

vor

in front of

zwischen

between

legen

to lay, to put (flat)

liegen

to lie, to be lying

stellen

to put (upright)

stehen

to stand

setzen

to set, to seat

sitzen

to sit

hängen

to hang

das Regal

shelf

der Schrank

cupboard, wardrobe

die Wand

wall

der Kühlschrank

refrigerator

das Sofa

sofa

der Teppich

rug

Sample practice questions

30 more questions like these, from level 1 to 5, are in the practice set.