My Neighbourhood: Vocabulary and Dual-Case Prepositions
The places in your town, why German asks Wohin or Wo before choosing a case, and the rule that makes a twenty-letter compound noun easy.
Practise it, do not just read it
Free interactive practice you can do alone, with the answers checked as you go.
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Wo wohnst du?
Describing your area in German runs straight into two things English never asks you to think about. First, which case comes after a preposition, because German changes the word for "the" depending on whether you are going somewhere or already there. Second, those enormous compound nouns, which look impossible and are actually the easiest words in the language once you know the rule. This module is both.
In meiner Stadt
Learn each noun with its article and its capital letter, because German nouns always take one:
Match each place to its meaning
- der Bahnhof
- das Rathaus
- das Schwimmbad
- die Bäckerei
- the railway station
- the town hall
- the swimming pool
- the bakery
The long words are the easy ones
German builds new nouns by gluing existing ones together, and there is one rule that unlocks all of them: the LAST noun decides the gender. • die Stadt gives die Innenstadt • das Zentrum gives das Einkaufszentrum • der Platz gives der Marktplatz Read a long compound from the RIGHT: the final noun is what the thing actually is, and everything before it just describes it. Einkaufs + zentrum is a centre for shopping.
Welcher Artikel?
A shoe shop in German is Schuhgeschäft, built from der Schuh and das Geschäft. Which article does it take?
- das Schuhgeschäft
- der Schuhgeschäft
- die Schuhgeschäft
- Either der or das, since it is made of two nouns
Wohin? oder Wo?
Nine prepositions can take either case: an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen. Which case depends on one question. Ask Wohin? (where to?) or Wo? (where?) before you choose.
Bewegung oder Ort?
You want to say "I am going into town". Which is right?
- Ich gehe in die Stadt.
- Ich gehe in der Stadt.
- Ich gehe in dem Stadt.
- Ich gehe in den Stadt.
Akkusativ oder Dativ?
Wir gehen _____ Kino. Jetzt sind wir schon _____ Kino. Am Samstag fahre ich _____ Stadt, aber ich wohne _____ Stadt.
Welche Sätze sind richtig?
Select the TWO sentences that use the right case.
- Der Bahnhof ist neben dem Rathaus.
- Ich gehe ins Schwimmbad.
- Ich wohne in die Stadt.
- Wir gehen im Kino.
The ones that never change
Do not start asking Wohin or Wo about every preposition. Some are always dative, whatever is happening, and they are worth knowing as a fixed list:
Match each dual-case preposition to its meaning
- vor
- hinter
- neben
- zwischen
- in front of
- behind
- next to
- between
Ein Spaziergang
You are telling a German friend about your Saturday. Choose the right form each time.
- You want to say you are going to the swimming pool (das Schwimmbad).
- Now you want to say where the bakery is: next to the church (die Kirche).
- Finally, you say you are travelling to the station. Which preposition rule applies?
Die Zusammenfassung
A dual-case preposition takes the _____ when there is movement towards something, answering the question _____, and the _____ when it describes position. in + das contracts to _____. In a compound noun, the gender comes from the _____ noun.
Meine Stadt
Schreib vier oder fünf Sätze auf Deutsch über deine Stadt. What is there, where the places are, and where you go at the weekend.
- Beginn mit: "Ich wohne in..." und sag, was es in deiner Stadt gibt
- Name at least three places, each with the correct article
- Use one sentence with a dual-case preposition in the DATIVE, describing where something is
- Use one sentence with a dual-case preposition in the ACCUSATIVE, saying where you go
- Include one compound noun, and one opinion with a reason: "Ich finde meine Stadt..., weil..."