PrepositionsHow are dual case prepositions used?

If dual-case prepositions describe movement from one place to another, they are followed by the accusative case. Otherwise, they take the dative.

Accusative = movement from one place to another

Dative = no movement

To help you remember, think of a finger moving to point at an ‘accused’ person.

Compare these two sentences:

• Ich stecke die Schuhe unter das Bett. – I put the shoes under the bed.
• Die Schuhe sind unter dem Bett. – The shoes are under the bed.

In the first sentence, I am moving the shoes from wherever they were to a new position under the bed. So, because there’s movement from one place to another, the accusative case das Bett has to be used after the dual case preposition unter.

In the second sentence the shoes are already under the bed. They are not moving or being moved anywhere. So, because there’s no movement, the dative case dem Bett has to be used after the dual case preposition unter.

Here are two more sentences using unter for you to compare:

• Die Katze läuft unter den Tisch. – The cat runs under the table.
• Die Katze ist unter dem Tisch. – The cat is under the table.

In the first sentence, the cat is moving from one place to another. It is running under the table from another position. So, because there’s movement, the accusative case den Tisch has to be used after the dual case preposition unter.

In the second sentence, the cat is still. It is now under the table and no longer running. So, because there’s no movement, the dative case dem Tisch has to be used after the dual case preposition unter.

Of course, it’s not just unter that behaves like this. Here’s an example of another dual case preposition:

• Er hängt den Spiegel an die Wand. – He is hanging the mirror on the wall.
• Der Spiegel hängt an der Wand. – The mirror hangs on the wall.

In the first sentence, the mirror is being moved to a new place on the wall. So, because there’s movement, the accusative case die Wand has to be used after the dual case preposition an.

In the second sentence, the mirror has already been hung and no movement is taking place. So, because there’s no movement, the dative case der Wand has to be used after the dual case preposition an.