Two-Way Prepositions in Depth (Wechselpräpositionen)
German has nine special prepositions — an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen — that can take either the accusative or the dative case depending on meaning. Mastering them unlocks your ability to describe where things are and where they are going.
The good news: there is one clean rule. Ask yourself wo? (where?) for location → use dative. Ask wohin? (where to?) for movement toward a destination → use accusative. Once that reflex is solid, these nine prepositions become some of the most useful tools in your German toolkit.
The Nine Two-Way Prepositions
These nine prepositions sit at the heart of German spatial language. Unlike purely dative or purely accusative prepositions, each one can go either way depending on context:
| Preposition | Core English meaning |
|---|---|
| an | at, on (vertical surfaces or edges) |
| auf | on, on top of (horizontal surfaces) |
| hinter | behind |
| in | in, into |
| neben | next to, beside |
| über | over, above, across |
| unter | under, below, among |
| vor | in front of; ago |
| zwischen | between |
Think of them as location-or-motion switches. The preposition itself never changes — the article does all the work.
The Core Rule: Wo? vs. Wohin?
This is the single rule you need to internalize:
| Question | Meaning | Case |
|---|---|---|
| Wo? | Where? (static location) | Dative |
| Wohin? | Where to? (movement / direction) | Accusative |
Verbs are a reliable shortcut:
| Static verbs (→ Dative) | Motion / placement verbs (→ Accusative) |
|---|---|
| liegen (to lie, be lying) | legen (to lay, put flat) |
| stehen (to stand, be standing) | stellen (to place upright) |
| sitzen (to sit) | setzen (to set, seat) |
| hängen (intrans.) — to be hanging | hängen (trans.) — to hang up |
| sein (to be) | gehen / fahren (to go / drive) |
Memory shortcut: Wo = Dative (WD-40 is stuck in place — static!). Wohin = Accusative (heading away somewhere).
Article Changes After Two-Way Prepositions
Dative (Wo? — static location)
| Gender | Nominative | Dative |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine (der) | der | dem |
| Feminine (die) | die | der |
| Neuter (das) | das | dem |
| Plural (die) | die | den |
Accusative (Wohin? — direction)
| Gender | Nominative | Accusative |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine (der) | der | den |
| Feminine (die) | die | die |
| Neuter (das) | das | das |
| Plural (die) | die | die |
Key insight: In the accusative, only the masculine article changes (der → den). Feminine, neuter, and plural look the same as nominative — so you mainly need to watch out for masculine nouns.
Common Contractions
In natural German, several preposition + definite article combinations are regularly fused. These contractions are strongly preferred in everyday speech and informal writing.
| Full form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| an + dem | am | am Tisch sitzen |
| an + das | ans | ans Fenster gehen |
| auf + das | aufs | aufs Sofa legen |
| in + dem | im | im Zimmer bleiben |
| in + das | ins | ins Kino gehen |
| hinter + das | hinters | hinters Haus laufen |
| über + das | übers | übers Wochenende bleiben |
| unter + das | unters | unters Bett rollen |
| vor + das | vors | vors Haus stellen |
The full form is always grammatically correct; contractions just sound more natural.
📖 Examples
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
The book is lying on the table. (wo? → dative: auf + dem)
Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch.
I am putting the book on the table. (wohin? → accusative: auf + den)
Die Katze sitzt unter dem Stuhl.
The cat is sitting under the chair. (wo? → dative: unter + dem)
Die Katze läuft unter den Stuhl.
The cat runs under the chair. (wohin? → accusative: unter + den)
Wir gehen ins Kino.
We are going to the cinema. (wohin? → accusative: in + das → ins)
Mein Bruder arbeitet im Büro.
My brother works in the office. (wo? → dative: in + dem → im)
Hänge das Bild an die Wand!
Hang the picture on the wall! (wohin? → accusative: an + die, feminine)
Das Bild hängt an der Wand.
The picture is hanging on the wall. (wo? → dative: an + der, feminine)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Ich gehe in dem Park.Ich gehe in den Park.
Gehen signals movement toward a destination (wohin?) → accusative. 'Der Park' is masculine; accusative → 'den Park'. Using 'in dem' (dative) directly contradicts the motion verb.
Das Buch liegt auf den Tisch.Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
Liegen is a static verb describing position (wo?) → dative is needed. English speakers often default to accusative because any noun after a preposition looks like a direct object in English.
Er stellt die Flasche in dem Kühlschrank.Er stellt die Flasche in den Kühlschrank.
Stellen means to place something upright — the bottle is moving to a new position (wohin?) → accusative required. 'Der Kühlschrank' is masculine; accusative → 'den Kühlschrank'.
Wir sitzen an die Bar.Wir sitzen an der Bar.
Sitzen is a static verb (wo?) → dative. 'Die Bar' is feminine; dative → 'der Bar'. Even though the overall meaning involves being at a place, the sitting itself is static — no movement is happening.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Das Kind spielt ___ Garten. (The child is playing in the garden — location)
Ich gehe ___ Supermarkt. (I am going to the supermarket — direction)
Das Buch liegt ___ Regal. (The book is on the shelf — location)
Sie stellt die Vase ___ Tisch. (She is placing the vase on the table — direction)
Die Kinder sitzen ___ Sofa. (The children are sitting on the sofa — location)
Er hängt das Bild ___ Wand. (He is hanging the picture on the wall — direction)
Das Auto steht ___ Garage. (die Garage)
Wir fahren ___ Berge. (die Berge, plural)
Die Tasche liegt ___ Stuhl. (der Stuhl)
Er legt das Heft ___ Schreibtisch. (der Schreibtisch)