Two-Way Prepositions: Where or Where To?
Learn the nine German two-way prepositions and choose the dative for location or the accusative for a destination. Practise articles, contractions, and common location verbs.
Explanation
Two-way prepositions: location or destination?
The prepositions **an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor**, and **zwischen** can take either the dative or the accusative. The choice does not depend simply on whether there is movement. It depends on whether the prepositional phrase names a **location** or a **destination**.
| Question | Meaning | Case | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Wo?** | position or location | **dative** | Die Jacke hängt **an der Tür**. |
| **Wohin?** | destination of a change of place | **accusative** | Ich hänge die Jacke **an die Tür**. |
Common verb pairs
| Location: Wo? | Destination: Wohin? |
|---|---|
| stehen | stellen |
| liegen | legen |
| sitzen | sich setzen |
| hängen (be hanging) | hängen (put something in a hanging position) |
**Sie läuft im Park** answers *Where is she running?* and therefore uses the dative. **Sie läuft in den Park** answers *Where is she running to?* and uses the accusative. Movement alone does not automatically trigger the accusative.
Article forms
| Gender/number | Dative | Accusative |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | dem / einem | den / einen |
| feminine | der / einer | die / eine |
| neuter | dem / einem | das / ein |
| plural | **den** + noun (often with **-n** in the dative plural) | die |
Common contractions are **an dem → am**, **in dem → im**, **an das → ans**, and **in das → ins**.
Time expressions
Time expressions with **an, in, vor**, and **zwischen** use the dative: **am Dienstag**, **im Herbst**, **vor dem Kurs**, **zwischen den Terminen**. They do not describe a spatial destination.
Exercises
- Sort each place phrase by function: Wo? with the dative or Wohin? with the accusative. (4)
- Complete the article or contraction. First decide: location or destination? (11)
- Build a complete sentence from the cues and use the correct case. (11)
- Complete the connected everyday scenes with forms from the word bank. Use each form exactly once. (4)
A2 · German · Grammar