in: being there vs going there
The same preposition, two cases — and the case is the meaning.
A handful of German prepositions can take either the dative or the accusative, and the case you choose changes what the sentence means. Start with just one of them: in.
in + dative = where you are (Wo?) · in + accusative = where you are heading (Wohin?).
Ich bin in der Küche.
I am in the kitchen.
Wo? → dative: der
Ich gehe in die Küche.
I am going into the kitchen.
Wohin? → accusative: die
Ich arbeite im Büro.
I work in the office.
in dem → im
Ich gehe ins Büro.
I am going into the office.
in das → ins
Ich bin gestern ins Kino gegangen.
I went to the cinema yesterday.
movement → accusative
A useful mental test: if the verb is about being, staying or doing something in a place, it is dative. If the verb is about crossing a boundary into a place, it is accusative.
| Wo? (dative) | Wohin? (accusative) | |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | in dem → im Supermarkt | in den Supermarkt |
| feminine | in der Küche | in die Küche |
| neuter | in dem → im Büro | in das → ins Büro |
Once that click has happened, auf and an work exactly the same way — auf dem Tisch (on the table) vs auf den Tisch (onto the table). Same logic, different picture.
Ich gehe in der Küche.Ich gehe in die Küche.
gehen is movement into the room, so the accusative is needed. With the dative the sentence would mean you are walking around inside the kitchen.
Words from this topic
- in der Küchein the kitchen (location)
- in die Kücheinto the kitchen (direction)
- im Büroin the office
- ins Bürointo the office
- aufon, onto
- anat, to (a vertical surface or edge)
- der Tischtable