Among the many facets of German grammar, two-way prepositions (also known as "dual prepositions") stand out as both fascinating and challenging. In this blog post, we'll delve into two-way prepositions, providing you with the key insights to confidently navigate these linguistic elements. Whether you're a beginner navigating the basics or a seasoned learner seeking a deeper comprehension, this exploration will guide you through the linguistic intricacies of German grammar.
When it comes to unravelling the intricacies of German grammar, the terrain of prepositions can be both challenging and captivating. Unlike some German language tutors, I prefer to separate the teaching of the four cases in German (i.e. nominative, accusative, dative, genitive) from prepositions. This approach stems from the belief that understanding the distinct logic of each enhances the comprehension of both. My advice is to learn the case system first before you continue with my explanation of dual prepositions. That is because prepositions enforce their own rules and take a particular case. If you have a preposition before a noun, this noun no longer performs the function of a direct or indirect object but its case is determined by the preposition.
The Essence of Two-Way Prepositions:
Understanding the case of two-way prepositions hinges on the accompanying verb, that is, on whether the action implies a change of location or not. Key verbs include:
ACCUSATIVE (change of location or where to/wohin?) | DATIVE (no change of location or where/wo? |
stellen (to put or place something vertically) | stehen (literally "to stand") |
(sich) legen (to lay something horizontally) | liegen (to lie) |
(sich) setzen (to sit down) | sitzen (to sit, be seated) |
Keeping your eyes on the verbs, let's now look at the nine dual prepositions with some examples.
TWO-WAY PREPOSITIONS | ACCUSATIVE | DATIVE |
an = at (leaning against, attached to, up to) | Wir hängen das Bild an die Wand. (We hang the picture on the wall) Wir gehen an den Strand. (We go to the beach) | Das Bild hängt jetzt an der Wand. (The picture is now hang on the wall) Wir sitzen an dem (am) Strand. (We're sitting at the beach) |
auf = on top of, upon | Ich stelle die Blumen auf den Tisch. (I put the flowers on the table) Ich setze mich auf den Stuhl. (I'm sitting down on the chair) | Die Blumen stehen auf dem Tisch. (The flower are on the table) Jetzt sitze ich auf dem Stuhl. (I'm sitting on the chair now) |
hinter = behind | Sie stellt das Fahrrad hinter das Haus. (She puts the bicycle behind the house) Er parkt sein Motorrad hinter der Garage. (He parks his motorbike behind the garage) | Ihr Fahrrad steht nun hinter dem Haus. (Her bicycle is now behind the house) Sein Motorrad steht jetzt hinter der Garage. (His motorbike is now behind the garage) |
in = in, inside, into | Sollen wir in das (ins) Kino gehen? (Should we go to the cinema?) Du gehst in den Park. (You are going to the park) | Ja, in dem (im) Kino war ich schon lange nicht mehr. (Yes, I haven't been to the cinema for a while) Nun bist du im Park. (Now, you're in the park) |
neben = next to | Ich stelle das neue Buch neben die alten Bücher. (I put the new book next to the old ones) Der Kellner legt das Besteck neben den Teller. (The waiter places the cutlery next to the plate) | Jetzt steht es neben den alten Büchern. (It's next to the old books now) Nun liegt es neben dem Teller. (Now, it lies next to the plate) |
über = over ("about" only takes the accusative case) | Die Vögel fliegen über das Haus. (The birds are flying over the house) Wir sprechen über die Hausaufgaben. (We're talking about the homework) | In diesem Moment fliegen sie über dem Haus. (At this moment, they're flying over the house) - |
unter = under, among | Der Hund legt sich unter den Tisch. (The dog lays down under the table) Sie legt ihm ein Kissen unter den Kopf. (She lays a pillow under his head) | Der Hund liegt unter dem Tisch. (The dog is lying under the table) Das Kissen liegt unter dem Kopf. (The pillow is lying under the head) |
vor = in front of ("before" and "ago" only go with the dative case) | Heute gehe ich nicht vor die Tür. (Today, I'm not leaving my house) - | Vor der Tür steht eine Pflanze. (There is a plant in front of the door) Vor dem Frühstück dusche ich mich. (Before breakfast, I take a shower) Ich bin vor 15 Jahren nach Großbritannien umgezogen. (I moved to the UK 15 years ago) |
zwischen = between | Wir setzen uns zwischen zwei Leute. (We're sitting down in between two people) Ich stelle die Teekanne zwischen zwei Tassen. (I put the teapot between two cups) | Nun sitzen wir zwischen zwei Leuten. (We're sitting between two people now) Jetzt steht die Teekanne zwischen zwei Tassen. (Now, the teapot is between two cups) |
As you can see from the examples, with the prepositions "an" and "in" we often combine article and preposition (e.g. "ins" for "in das", "im" for "in dem", "am" for an dem"). These two prepositions can be used as temporal and spatial prepositions in German. However, when they are used in a temporal sense, they only go with the dative case since time does not change location. This also explains why the two temporal meanings of "vor" (before and ago) also take the dative.
By contrast, the second translation of "über" as "about" doesn't imply a change of location either, but it takes the accusative case because the rule doesn't apply here. In fact, it is used in combination with verbs such as "sprechen", "reden", "diskutieren" that take the accusative case for introducing the topic of the conversation (e.g. "Wir sprechen heute über die Wechselpräpositionen"). Frustratingly perhaps, many other German verbs with prepositions don't follow the aforementioned rules and simply need to be memorised with the preposition and case they take.
English speakers, beware of the subtle nuances in translating "on" into German, as the contexts vary. In English, "on" can be used in many different contexts and cannot be translated as "auf" into German.
I'm on the bus vs. Ich bin im Haus ("auf" would imply on top of the bus).
I'm on the phone vs. Ich bin am Telefon ("auf" would suggest that you're standing on top of the phone).
Some verbs are not specific enough and can, therefore, be used in both cases. "Fahren" and "fliegen", for example, don't necessarily imply a change of location.
Das Auto fährt auf die Straße vs. Das Auto fährt auf der Straße
Die Vögel fliegen über das Haus vs. In diesem Moment Vögel fliegen über dem Haus.
The sentences on the left use the accusative case because the car is coming from somewhere else and drives onto the road, and the birds fly from another location over the house. By contrast, with the sentences on the right there is no change of location as the car is already on the road and just travelling along, while the birds are being observed in the very moment they are flying over the house. So, the dative case needs to be used for these two sentences. This goes to show that the rule really is whether there is a change of location implied by the verb or not. Misleadingly, some German teachers use movement/no movement as a way of explaining when the accusative and the dative should be used. However, as the examples for "fahren" and fliegen" show, this explanation wouldn't account for verbs that are not specific enough. Both always imply a movement but not necessarily a change in location.
By now, you will hopefully understand why it is correct to say “ich gehe ins Kino” for two reasons. First, the verb “gehen” implies a change of location, so the accusative must be used. Second, “ins” is a combination of “in” and the accusative article “das”, and since Kino is neuter, the sentence is grammatically correct.
Let's unpack all of this further.
Accusative Case: Expressing Movement
When a two-way preposition describes a location change (i.e., motion towards a goal or destination), it takes the accusative case. This can be thought of as answering the question "Where to?" (Wohin?).
Examples:
Ich gehe in das Zimmer.(I am going into the room.)
Er stellt das Buch auf den Tisch.(He places the book onto the table.)
Wir fahren hinter das Gebäude.(We are driving behind the building.)
In all these examples, the preposition indicates a change in position, requiring the accusative case to reflect the movement.
Dative Case: Expressing Location
When a two-way preposition describes location (i.e., the static position of someone or something), it takes the dative case. This can be thought of as answering the question "Where?" (Wo?).
Examples:
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.(The book is lying on the table.)
Ich bin in dem Zimmer.(I am in the room.)
Wir parken vor dem Haus.(We are parking in front of the house.)
Here, the preposition indicates that something is already at rest in a particular location, requiring the dative case to show that there is no movement.
When to Use the Accusative Case
Let's delve deeper into when to use the accusative case with two-way prepositions. The key rule is that the accusative case is used when the action implies movement toward a destination or goal. The idea of movement or change is central to understanding this case.
Key Question: Wohin? (Where to?)
Ich gehe an den Strand.(I am going to the beach.)
Wir legen das Buch auf den Tisch.(We are putting the book on the table.)
In both examples, the verbs gehen (to go) and legen (to lay) imply a transfer or movement to a new place. Therefore, we use the accusative case: an den Strand, auf den Tisch.
Other Examples of Accusative with Two-Way Prepositions:
Ich stelle den Stuhl neben den Tisch.(I place the chair next to the table.)
Der Hund läuft hinter das Haus.(The dog runs behind the house.)
Sie fahren über die Brücke.(They are driving over the bridge.)
When to Use the Dative Case
The dative case is used with two-way prepositions when the action describes a location where something or someone is stationary. There is no movement involved, only the position of an object or person.
Key Question: Wo? (Where?)
Das Bild hängt an der Wand.(The picture is hanging on the wall.)
Ich sitze auf dem Stuhl.(I am sitting on the chair.)
Here, there is no change of position; the picture is already hanging on the wall, and I am already sitting on the chair, so the dative case is used: an der Wand, auf dem Stuhl.
Other Examples of Dative with Two-Way Prepositions:
Der Ball ist unter dem Tisch.(The ball is under the table.)
Sie wohnt neben dem Park.(She lives next to the park.)
Der Schlüssel steckt in der Tür.(The key is in the door.)
Movement vs. Location: Common Verbs to Look Out For
Understanding whether a preposition describes movement or location largely depends on the verb used in the sentence. Here's a quick list of verbs that are commonly associated with movement (accusative) versus location (dative).
Verbs of Movement (Accusative):
gehen (to go)
fahren (to drive/go)
legen (to lay down)
stellen (to place upright)
setzen (to set down, to sit down)
bringen (to bring)
Examples:
Ich gehe in die Stadt.(I am going to the city.)
Er stellt die Tasse auf den Tisch.(He places the cup on the table.)
Verbs of Location (Dative):
sein (to be)
liegen (to lie)
stehen (to stand)
sitzen (to sit)
hängen (to hang)
Examples:
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.(The book is on the table.)
Er sitzt neben mir.(He is sitting next to me.)
Special Cases: Mixed or Complex Sentences
Sometimes, sentences can contain both movement and location, requiring both the accusative and dative cases. In such sentences, it's important to recognize which prepositions relate to movement and which relate to location.
Example of a Mixed Sentence:
Ich setze das Buch auf den Tisch und es liegt auf dem Tisch.
(I put the book on the table and it lies on the table.)
In this sentence:
auf den Tisch (accusative) is used to describe the movement of placing the book onto the table.
auf dem Tisch (dative) is used to describe the static position of the book lying on the table.
Tips for Mastering Two-Way Prepositions
Ask the Right Question: Always ask yourself whether the action involves movement (Wohin?) or location (Wo?). This will guide you in choosing between the accusative and dative cases.
Learn Verbs in Context: Memorize whether common verbs are associated with movement (e.g., legen, stellen) or location (e.g., liegen, sitzen). This will help you immediately know which case to use with two-way prepositions.
Practice Makes Perfect: Practice with real-life situations and sentences where you need to decide between movement or location. Use flashcards, exercises on the two-way prepositions in German, or online quizzes to reinforce the rules.
Visualize the Action: When unsure whether to use the accusative or dative, imagine the action in your head. If something is moving toward a new position, it's accusative. If it's stationary, it's dative.
Conclusion
Mastering two-way prepositions is a crucial part of advancing your German language skills. By understanding when to use the accusative case for movement and the dative case for location, you'll significantly improve both your written and spoken German. As you continue practising, two-way prepositions will become second nature, helping you express directions, locations, and actions clearly and correctly. The more you work with these prepositions in real-world contexts, the more naturally they will come to you. So, practice constructing sentences using two-way prepositions, pay close attention to whether you’re expressing movement or location, and remember to ask yourself Wohin? or Wo? when in doubt. With time and practice, you'll feel more confident using Wechselpräpositionen and navigating between the accusative and dative cases effortlessly. Happy learning!
Learn about accusative prepositions, dative prepositions, and prepositions that go with the genitive case in German in our next three posts on the topic.
On our blog, you will find posts on many topics in German grammar- from adjective endings in German, the difference between aber and sondern in German, to German syntax.
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