Home

German grammar · A1

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Nine German prepositions take either the accusative or the dative, and the case changes the meaning. This is the point where German grammar stops being a list to memorise and starts asking you to think about what the sentence actually says.

The nine, and the test

an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen.

The test is one question: movement into a new place, or position in an existing one? If the sentence answers wohin — where to — use the accusative. If it answers wo — where — use the dative.

Ich gehe in die Schule. I am going into the school: movement, accusative. Ich bin in der Schule. I am in the school: position, dative. Same preposition, same noun, different case, genuinely different meaning.

The verb usually tells you

In practice the verb settles it before you have to think. Verbs of going and putting — gehen, fahren, stellen, legen, hängen (regular) — point to a destination and take the accusative. Verbs of being and staying — sein, bleiben, stehen, liegen, hängen (irregular) — describe a position and take the dative.

German even pairs them: stellen (to put upright, accusative) against stehen (to stand, dative); legen (to lay down, accusative) against liegen (to lie, dative). Learning the pairs together is more efficient than learning the rule abstractly.

An, auf and in: the three that cause most trouble

Beyond the case, these three are hard because English uses on and at where German divides things differently.

auf is for a horizontal surface: auf dem Tisch, auf dem Boden. an is for a vertical surface or an edge: an der Wand, am Fenster, am See (at the lakeside). in is for an enclosed space: in der Schublade, im Zimmer.

So a picture hangs an der Wand but a book lies auf dem Tisch, and both are on in English. Learning the German distinction is more efficient than translating each time.

Examples

• Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch.I put the book on the table (moving it there).
• Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.The book is (lying) on the table.

Mistakes to avoid

The single most common error is defaulting to one case for all nine prepositions instead of asking whether the sentence describes movement or position.

• ✗ Ich gehe in der Küche. (gemeint: hineingehen)✓ Ich gehe in die Küche.
• ✗ Das Buch liegt auf den Tisch.✓ Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
• ✗ Hänge das Bild an der Wand.✓ Hänge das Bild an die Wand.

How this is tested in the exam

These appear wherever anything is located or moved, which at A1 means directions, rooms and everyday objects. In Lesen Teil 3, signs and notices are full of them, and the case often distinguishes an instruction to go somewhere from a statement about where something is.

Frequently asked questions

What are the German two-way prepositions?

an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen. Each can take either the accusative or the dative.

How do I know whether to use accusative or dative?

Ask whether the sentence describes movement to a new place or position in an existing one. Movement takes the accusative; position takes the dative.

What is the difference between stellen and stehen?

Stellen means to put something somewhere and takes the accusative. Stehen means to be standing somewhere and takes the dative. Legen and liegen work the same way.

Does in always mean into?

No. In die Stadt is into the town, with movement and the accusative. In der Stadt is in the town, describing position, with the dative.