In this article, you will learn how to use local two-way prepositions in German. You will learn the difference between a direction or movement with the accusative and a location or position with the dative, and you will practise using them with many examples.

This is an article for learning German. If you teach German as a foreign language, you can use this article as a complete lesson on the respective topic. If your students speak English, French, Spanish, Italian or Russian, you can right-click on the student’s respective native language under the title and select “Open in split view” in Google Chrome. This allows you to open the German version and the version in the student’s native language directly next to each other.

Contents of the lesson:

1. How are you? – informal / formal
2. Lesson objectives
3. Local two-way prepositions – direction and location
4. Review – personal pronouns
5. Review – definite articles
6. Review – conjugation of verbs in the present tense
7. Direction with the accusative
8. Location with the dative
9. Exception: in and an before relative clauses
10. Colloquial contractions
11. Exercises: example sentences

How are you? – informal / formal

Teacher – Student → formal “you” (positive or neutral)

1

Teacher: Good morning! How are you today?
Student: I’m fine, thank you. And you?
Teacher: I’m fine too, thank you.

2

Teacher: Hello! How are you?
Student: Thank you, I’m very well. And you?
Teacher: Very well, thank you.

3

Teacher: Good afternoon! How are you today?
Student: I’m great, really well, thank you. And you?
Teacher: Actually, I’m doing well, thank you.

4

Teacher: Hello! How are you?
Student: Thank you, I’m doing so-so. And you?
Teacher: I’m doing quite well, thank you.

5

Teacher: Good morning! How are you today?
Student: I’m doing relatively well, thank you. And you?
Teacher: Thank you, I’m doing pretty well too.

Student – Student (positive or neutral)

6

A: Hello! How are you?
B: I’m fine, thank you. And you?
A: I’m fine too, thank you.

7

A: Hello! How are you?
B: I’m fine, thank you. And you?
A: I’m fine too, thank you.

8

A: Good morning! How are you?
B: I’m really well, thank you. And you?
A: Great, thanks!

9

A: Hi! How are you?
B: I’m very well, thank you. And you?
A: Me too, thanks.

10

A: Hello! How are you today?
B: I’m fine, thank you. And you?
A: Fine too, thanks.

Teacher – Student (negative)

1

Teacher: Good morning! How are you today?
Student: Not so well. I have a stomach ache.
Teacher: I’m sorry to hear that. Get well soon.

2

Teacher: Hello! How are you?
Student: I’m not doing so well. I’m very tired.
Teacher: I’m sorry to hear that. Get some good rest later.

3

Teacher: Good afternoon! How are you today?
Student: Not so well. I have a headache.
Teacher: I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better soon.

Student – Student (negative)

4

A: Hello! How are you?
B: Not so well. My dog is ill.
A: I’m sorry to hear that. I hope your dog gets well quickly.

5

A: Good morning! How are you?
B: Not particularly well. My friend is in hospital.
A: I’m sorry to hear that. I hope he feels better soon.

6

A: Hi! How are you today?
B: Not too well. I have a headache and I’m tired.
A: I’m sorry to hear that. Get some good rest later.

Lesson objectives

We will learn the local two-way prepositions:

• which ones?
• Direction: accusative
• Location: dative

We will review the personal pronouns.

We will review the articles and their declension.

We will review the verbs to lay, to set, to put and to hang to express movement.

We will review the verbs to lie, to sit, to stand, to be (and to hang) to describe a location or position.

We will practise the local two-way prepositions in context.

Local two-way prepositions – direction and location

in, at, on, above, under, in front of, behind, next to, between

Where to or where?

Where to? → Accusative (movement)

to lay
to put
to set
to hang

👉 + accusative: the

Where? → Dative (location)

to be
to stand
to lie
to sit

👉 + dative: the

Review: Personal pronouns – singular

Nominative	Accusative	Dative
I	me	me
you	you	you
he	him	him
she	her	her
it	it	it

Personal pronouns – plural

Nominative	Accusative	Dative
we	us	us
you	you	you
they	them	them
you (formal)	you	you

Reviewing the articles – singular

Case	masculine	feminine	neuter
Nominative	the	the	the
Accusative	the	the	the
Dative	the	the	the

Reviewing the articles – plural

Case	all genders
Nominative	the
Accusative	the
Dative	the

Reviewing the conjugation of to lay, to put, to set and to hang

to lay – Where to? – accusative

Person	to lay
I	lay
you	lay
he/she/it	lays
we	lay
you	lay
they	lay
you (formal)	lay

to put – Where to? – accusative

Person	to put
I	put
you	put
he/she/it	puts
we	put
you	put
they	put
you (formal)	put

to place – Where to? – accusative

Person	to place
I	place
you	place
he/she/it	places
we	place
you	place
they	place
you (formal)	place

to hang – Where to? – accusative

Person	to hang
I	hang
you	hang
he/she/it	hangs
we	hang
you	hang
they	hang
you (formal)	hang

Reviewing the conjugation of to lie, to sit, to stand, to be and to hang

to lie – Where? – dative

Person	to lie
I	lie
you	lie
he/she/it	lies
we	lie
you	lie
they	lie
you (formal)	lie

to stand – Where? – dative

Person	to stand
I	stand
you	stand
he/she/it	stands
we	stand
you	stand
they	stand
you (formal)	stand

to sit – Where? – dative

Person	to sit
I	sit
you	sit
he/she/it	sits
we	sit
you	sit
they	sit
you (formal)	sit

to stand – Where? – dative

Person	to stand
I	stand
you	stand
he/she/it	stands
we	stand
you	stand
they	stand
you (formal)	stand

to be – Where? – dative

Person	to be
I	am
you	are
he/she/it	is
we	are
you	are
they	are
you (formal)	are

➡️ Direction: with the accusative – where to?

Preposition	masculine	feminine	neuter
in	into the	into the	into the
at	to the	to the	to the
on	onto the	onto the	onto the
above	above the	above the	above the
under	under the	under the	under the
in front of	in front of the	in front of the	in front of the
behind	behind the	behind the	behind the
next to	next to the	next to the	next to the
between	between the	between the	between the

📍 Location: with the dative – where?

Preposition	masculine	feminine	neuter
in	in the	in the	in the
at	at the	at the	at the
on	on the	on the	on the
above	above the	above the	above the
under	under the	under the	under the
in front of	in front of the	in front of the	in front of the
behind	behind the	behind the	behind the
next to	next to the	next to the	next to the
between	between the	between the	between the

Exception: into / to, in / at

📍 Accusative (WHERE TO?) with a relative clause

I put the book into the shelf/cabinet that is in the living room.

I put the book by the window that is in the classroom.

📍 Dative (WHERE?) with a relative clause

The book is lying in the shelf/cabinet that is in the living room.

I am sitting by the window that is in the classroom.

💡 Explanation

👉 into / to = Where to? (movement)

👉 in / at = Where? (location)

👉 Relative clause: “that is in the living room” = additional description

Colloquial contractions

👉 (spoken language only)

onto the
over the
under the
in front of the
behind the
above the
under the
in front of the
behind the

📌Exercises

1.)

👉 Try to describe the picture.

2.)

First read the written form of an example aloud.
👉 Then say the spoken form, if possible.

The solution is always shown below the picture.

Please scroll down only after you have tried to say the answer.

1. What is the son? (Is the son a schoolchild?)
2. How old is the son? (Is the son 6 years old?)

1 and 2

1. 👶 The son is a baby.
2. He is six months old.

3

3. What is the daughter? Is she a baby? No, …

3. 👧 The daughter is a toddler.

4

4. How old is the daughter? Is she six months old? No, …

4. She is two years old.

5

5. What is the mother doing?

5. ➡️ The mother puts her son into bed.

6

6. 📍 The son is lying in bed.

7

7. ➡️ The mother puts her son on the chair / high chair.

8

8. 📍 The son is sitting on the chair / high chair.

9

9. ➡️ The father puts his daughter on the chair.

10

10. 📍 The daughter is sitting on the chair.

11

11. ➡️ The father puts his daughter down on the floor so that she is standing.

12

12. 📍 The daughter is standing on the floor.

13

13. ➡️ The father lays his daughter on the sofa.

14

14. 📍 The daughter is lying on the sofa.

15

15. ➡️ The mother lays her son on the table / changing table.

16

16. 📍 The son is lying on the changing table.

17

17. ➡️ The father places his daughter at the table.

18

18. 📍 The daughter is standing at the table.

19

19. ➡️ The mother places her son in front of the sofa.

20

20. 📍 The son is standing in front of the sofa.

21

21. ➡️ The father puts the book behind the teddy bear.

22

22. 📍 The book is standing behind the teddy bear.

23

23. ➡️ The mother puts her son between the chairs.

24

24. 📍 The son is sitting between the chairs.

25

25. ➡️ The mother puts the vase into the cardboard box.

26

26. 📍 The vase is lying in the cardboard box.

27

27. ➡️ The father puts the vase on the table.

28

28. 📍 The vase is standing on the table.

29

29. ➡️ The mother puts the book into the bookcase.

30

30. 📍 The book is standing in the bookcase.

31

31. ➡️ The father puts the book under the table.

32

32. 📍 The book is lying under the table.

33

33. ➡️ The mother hangs the lamp above the table.

34

34. 📍 The lamp is hanging above the table.

35

35. ➡️ The mother puts the bag on the floor.

36

36. 📍 The bag is standing on the floor.

37

37. ➡️ The father puts the sports bag next to the car.

38

38. 📍 The sports bag is standing next to the car.

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