German Two-Way Prepositions: wohin (akk) vs wo (dat)
German two-way prepositions take accusative for direction (wohin?) and dative for location (wo?). All nine Wechselpräpositionen with examples and practice.
What are German two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)?
German two-way prepositions — known in German as Wechselpräpositionen ("alternating prepositions") — are nine prepositions that can take either the accusative or the dative case. The case is not fixed by the preposition; it is decided by the meaning of the sentence. Direction toward a new place triggers the accusative; a static location triggers the dative.
The fastest way to make the wohin?/wo? choice automatic is to drill it, and you can do exactly that right here: the interactive exercises below are free, need no sign-up, and tell you instantly whether you picked the right case.
This is the single most useful rule in A2 German prepositions: once you can answer wohin? (where to?) vs wo? (where?), you can pick the right case for every Wechselpräposition.
Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. — wohin? → accusative (direction)
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. — wo? → dative (location)
Same preposition (auf), same noun (Tisch), two different cases — because the verbs legen and liegen describe different things. That contrast is the whole concept.
The nine German two-way prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning |
|---|---|
| an | at, on (vertical surface) |
| auf | on (horizontal surface) |
| hinter | behind |
| in | in, into |
| neben | next to, beside |
| über | over, above, across |
| unter | under, below, among |
| vor | in front of, before |
| zwischen | between |
Every other German preposition has a fixed case. For accusative-only prepositions, see German accusative prepositions; for dative-only ones, see German dative prepositions.
Quick reference: wohin (akk) vs wo (dat)
One sentence pair per preposition — the directional reading on the left, the stative reading on the right.
| Preposition | Wohin? → Accusative | Wo? → Dative |
|---|---|---|
| an | Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. | Das Bild hängt an der Wand. |
| auf | Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. | Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. |
| hinter | Er stellt das Auto hinter das Haus. | Das Auto steht hinter dem Haus. |
| in | Wir gehen in den Park. | Wir sind in dem (im) Park. |
| neben | Sie setzt sich neben ihren Mann. | Sie sitzt neben ihrem Mann. |
| über | Das Flugzeug fliegt über die Stadt. | Das Flugzeug ist über der Stadt. |
| unter | Die Katze läuft unter den Tisch. | Die Katze liegt unter dem Tisch. |
| vor | Er stellt sich vor die Klasse. | Er steht vor der Klasse. |
| zwischen | Ich stelle die Lampe zwischen die Bücher. | Die Lampe steht zwischen den Büchern. |
When to use dative (wo?)
Use the dative when the sentence answers wo? — where something is, with no change of position. Nothing moves to a new place.
Typical stative verbs that pair with dative two-way prepositions:
- liegen (to lie)
- sitzen (to sit)
- stehen (to stand)
- hängen (intransitive, to be hanging)
- sein (to be)
- wohnen (to live)
- arbeiten (to work)
- schlafen (to sleep)
Das Bild hängt an der Wand. — The picture hangs on the wall. (wo? — dative)
Die Katze sitzt auf dem Stuhl. — The cat sits on the chair.
Die Kinder spielen in dem Garten. — The children play in the garden.
Das Auto steht hinter einem Haus. — The car stands behind a house.
Er schläft neben seiner Frau. — He sleeps next to his wife.
Dative articles after two-way prepositions follow the regular dative pattern (dem / der / dem / den). For a full refresher, see German articles in the dative.
When to use accusative (wohin?)
Use the accusative when the sentence answers wohin? — where something is going, with movement toward a new location.
Typical directional verbs that pair with accusative two-way prepositions:
- legen (to lay, to put down flat)
- setzen (to set, to seat)
- stellen (to place upright)
- hängen (transitive, to hang something)
- gehen (to go)
- laufen (to walk, to run)
- fahren (to drive)
- kommen (to come)
Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. — I hang the picture on the wall. (wohin? — accusative)
Die Katze springt auf den Stuhl. — The cat jumps onto the chair.
Die Kinder laufen in den Garten. — The children run into the garden.
Er stellt das Auto hinter ein Haus. — He parks the car behind a house.
Sie setzt sich neben ihren Mann. — She sits down next to her husband.
Accusative endings here are the same ones drilled in German articles: den / die / das / die. The two-way prepositions just trigger that table when the meaning is directional.
stellen/legen/setzen/hängen vs stehen/liegen/sitzen/hängen
German has a tidy set of transitive directional verbs and intransitive stative verbs that come in pairs. The directional verb takes the accusative with a Wechselpräposition; the stative verb takes the dative.
| Directional (akk, wohin?) | Stative (dat, wo?) |
|---|---|
| stellen — to place upright | stehen — to stand |
| legen — to lay down flat | liegen — to lie |
| setzen — to set, to seat | sitzen — to sit |
| hängen (weak, transitive) — to hang sth. | hängen (strong, intransitive) — to be hanging |
Ich stelle die Flasche auf den Tisch. (akk) — I put the bottle on the table.
Die Flasche steht auf dem Tisch. (dat) — The bottle stands on the table.
The pair hängen / hängen is the only one that shares a spelling: the directional version is weak (hängte, gehängt) and takes the accusative; the stative version is strong (hing, gehangen) and takes the dative. The case of the article tells you which verb is meant.
Common contractions: im, ins, am, ans
Two-way prepositions contract with the definite article in everyday German. The contracted forms are the default — use them unless something blocks the contraction.
| Full form | Contraction | Case |
|---|---|---|
| in + dem | im | Dative |
| in + das | ins | Accusative |
| an + dem | am | Dative |
| an + das | ans | Accusative |
Er arbeitet im Büro. (im = in dem, dative) — He works in the office.
Wir gehen ins Kino. (ins = in das, accusative) — We are going to the cinema.
Das Bild hängt am Fenster. (am = an dem, dative) — The picture hangs at the window.
Sie geht ans Fenster. (ans = an das, accusative) — She walks to the window.
auf das also contracts to aufs in casual speech, but the contraction is optional and less universal than im / ins / am / ans.
10 exercises on this rule · about 5 min
Common mistakes with German two-way prepositions
These are the four mistakes A2 learners make most often. Each has a real fix, not just a translation.
1. Dative after a directional verb
gehen, laufen, fahren, fliegen describe motion toward a destination, so they pair with the accusative. Using the dative here is the most common error of all.
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| ✗ Ich gehe in dem Park. | ✓ Ich gehe in den Park. |
| ✗ Wir fahren in der Stadt. (meaning: to the city) | ✓ Wir fahren in die Stadt. |
| ✗ Sie läuft auf dem Balkon. (meaning: out onto the balcony) | ✓ Sie läuft auf den Balkon. |
Test: replace the preposition phrase with wohin? — if the question fits, the case is accusative.
2. Accusative after a stative verb
The mirror-image mistake: using the accusative with stehen, liegen, sitzen, wohnen, sein because the sentence "feels active."
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| ✗ Ich stehe in den Park. | ✓ Ich stehe in dem (im) Park. |
| ✗ Das Kind sitzt auf den Stuhl. | ✓ Das Kind sitzt auf dem Stuhl. |
| ✗ Wir wohnen in die Stadt. | ✓ Wir wohnen in der Stadt. |
Test: replace the preposition phrase with wo? — if that question fits, the case is dative.
3. Mixing up the stellen/legen/setzen/hängen vs stehen/liegen/sitzen/hängen pair
Learners often pick the right preposition but the wrong verb, which then forces the wrong case.
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| ✗ Ich lege auf dem Sofa. (meaning: I'm lying on the sofa) | ✓ Ich liege auf dem Sofa. |
| ✗ Er stellt vor der Tür. (meaning: he stands in front of the door) | ✓ Er steht vor der Tür. |
| ✗ Ich hänge an der Wand. (meaning: I hang something on the wall) | ✓ Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. |
If there is no direct object, you almost certainly want the stative verb (and dative). If there is a direct object you are moving, you want the directional verb (and accusative).
4. Forgetting the wohin / wo reflex test
The fastest fix for any Wechselpräposition is to silently ask the question word before picking the article.
- Wohin gehst du? — Ich gehe in den Supermarkt. (akk)
- Wo bist du? — Ich bin in dem (im) Supermarkt. (dat)
If you can answer the sentence with wohin?, the case is accusative. If you can answer it with wo?, the case is dative. There is no third option.
FAQ
What are German two-way prepositions?
The nine prepositions an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen that take the accusative for direction (wohin?) and the dative for location (wo?).
How do you know when to use accusative or dative with German prepositions?
Ask wohin? or wo?. Directional verbs (stellen, legen, setzen, hängen, gehen, fahren) pair with accusative; stative verbs (stehen, liegen, sitzen, hängen-intransitive, wohnen, sein) pair with dative.
What is the difference between wo and wohin?
Wo? is the static question (where is X?) and forces the dative. Wohin? is the directional question (where to?) and forces the accusative.
Is in always a two-way preposition?
Yes — in is always a Wechselpräposition, alternating between accusative (ins Kino) and dative (im Kino).
Are there contractions like im, ins?
Yes: in + dem = im, in + das = ins, an + dem = am, an + das = ans. These are the natural default; use them unless a following adjective or relative clause blocks the contraction.
Related grammar
- German dative prepositions — closed-set prepositions that always take the dative (
mit, nach, von, zu, …). - German accusative prepositions — closed-set prepositions that always take the accusative (
durch, für, gegen, ohne, um). - German articles in the dative — the
dem / der / dem / dentable you need when a Wechselpräposition takes the dative. - German articles — the nominative and accusative article tables underlying every preposition phrase.
Frequently asked questions
What are German two-way prepositions?
German two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen) are nine prepositions — an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen — that take either the accusative or the dative case. Accusative signals direction (wohin?), dative signals location (wo?). The verb and the meaning, not the preposition itself, decide the case.
How do you know when to use accusative or dative with German prepositions?
Ask wohin? (where to?) or wo? (where?). If the sentence describes movement toward a new place, use the accusative: Ich gehe in den Park. If it describes a static location, use the dative: Ich bin in dem (im) Park. The directional verbs stellen, legen, setzen, hängen pair with accusative; the stative verbs stehen, liegen, sitzen, hängen pair with dative.
What is the difference between wo and wohin in German?
Wo? asks about a static location and forces the dative: Wo ist das Buch? — Auf dem Tisch. Wohin? asks about direction or destination and forces the accusative: Wohin legst du das Buch? — Auf den Tisch. Both can be paired with any two-way preposition, and the question word is the cleanest test for which case to pick.
Is in always a two-way preposition?
Yes — in is always a Wechselpräposition. It takes the accusative when there is movement into a place (Ich gehe ins Kino) and the dative when describing being inside a place (Ich bin im Kino). The same applies to an and auf — these three are the two-way prepositions you will use most often at A2.
Are there contractions like im, ins, am, ans?
Yes. With two-way prepositions, in + dem contracts to im, in + das to ins, an + dem to am, and an + das to ans. The contracted forms are the default in spoken and written German; the uncontracted in dem, an dem appear mainly when a following adjective or relative clause blocks the contraction (in dem alten Haus).
Where can I practice German two-way prepositions for free?
On this very page. The free interactive exercises above test the wohin? (accusative) vs wo? (dative) choice across all nine Wechselpräpositionen — an, auf, in and the rest — with instant feedback and no sign-up needed.