Purpose
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to correctly use five common German prepositions of place.
Lesson Explanation
Prepositions of place describe location:
in — inside something: Der Stift ist in der Tasche. auf — on top of a surface: Das Buch ist auf dem Tisch. unter — below something: Die Katze ist unter dem Bett. neben — beside something: Der Stuhl ist neben der Tür. zwischen — between two things: Der Park ist zwischen der Schule und dem Geschäft.
A genuinely important, forward-looking note: these five prepositions belong to a specific German category called “two-way prepositions” — their case (accusative or dative) genuinely depends on whether motion or fixed location is being described, a distinction covered directly once both cases have been introduced in Part 4, Lessons 1-2.
Practice Questions
1. Complete: “Der Stift ist ___ der Tasche.” (inside it)
View Answer
in
2. Complete: “Das Buch ist ___ dem Tisch.” (on its surface)
View Answer
auf
3. Complete: “Die Katze ist ___ dem Bett.” (below it)
View Answer
unter
4. Complete: “Der Stuhl ist ___ der Tür.” (beside it)
View Answer
neben
5. Complete: “Der Park ist ___ der Schule und dem Geschäft.” (between both)
View Answer
zwischen
6. What does “in” mean?
View Answer
Inside something.
7. What does “auf” mean?
View Answer
On top of a surface.
8. What does “unter” mean?
View Answer
Below something.
9. What are these five prepositions called as a specific category, previewing later Parts?
View Answer
Two-way prepositions.
10. What does the case of a two-way preposition genuinely depend on?
View Answer
Whether motion or fixed location is being described.
11. What later Part and Lessons does this case distinction connect to?
View Answer
Part 4, Lessons 1-2 (accusative and dative cases).
12. What does “zwischen” mean?
View Answer
Between two things.