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Topic test · A1

The preposition hinter test

13questions
8minutes
60%pass mark
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Topic test

13 questions, easy to hard

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The cat is sleeping the table. (German: der Tisch)

hinter dem Tisch. “Sleeping” is a position verb (Wo?), so Dativ: dem.

He puts the cat the table.

hinter den Tisch. “Put (setzen)” is a placing verb (Wohin?), so Akkusativ: den (masculine).

The children are playing the garage. (die Garage)

hinter der Garage. “Playing” is a position (Wo?), and a feminine noun takes der in the Dativ.

We put the box the wardrobe. (der Schrank)

hinter den Schrank. The box is being put somewhere (Wohin?), and a masculine noun takes den in the Akkusativ.

The children are playing the fences. (die Zäune)

hinter den Zäunen. Position (Wo?) + plural Dativ = den + an -n on the noun.

How do you shorten “behind the house” in spoken German? (das Haus)

hinters Haus. hinter + das → hinters (Akkusativ). The Dativ contraction is hinterm.

Complete the sentence: ‘Wir fahren das Auto Garage.’ (die Garage - direction)

hinter die Garage. We drive the car to the spot behind the garage: the question is where to (Wohin?), and the feminine Akkusativ die does not change. parken, by contrast, usually states a location: Wir parken hinter der Garage.

Der Garten ist dem Haus.

The garden is behind the house.

hinter = behind. Its opposite is vor (in front of). The garden is behind the house: Dativ.

Stell dich Baum!

Go and stand behind the tree!

Going to stand behind the tree (sich stellen) is a direction: wohin? → Akkusativ → hinter den Baum. Hiding, on the other hand, states a place: Versteck dich hinter dem Baum!

What do you say in a queue? — Bitte stellen Sie sich an.

hinten is an adverb: “at the back / to the back” stands on its own. hinter is a preposition and needs a noun after it — do not mix them up.

“Die Katze schläft hinter den Tisch.” is a correct sentence.

False. Sleeping describes a position (no movement), so the Dativ is needed: hinter dem Tisch.

Er stellt das Fahrrad hinter Garage.

He puts the bike behind the garage (die Garage).

die. Direction is expressed, so the Akkusativ is needed; the feminine article stays the same.

Build the sentence: The garden is behind the house.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

When you state a position or location, hinter takes the Dativ.
Quick rules

The rules in three lines

The full topic lives on its own page. This is only the core you need for the test.

  1. hinter = behind

    A two-way preposition: what stays put takes the Dativ (hinter dem Haus), what moves toward a place takes the Akkusativ (hinter das Haus).

    Der Garten ist hinter dem Haus.

  2. Its opposite is vor

    vor dem Haus is the front, hinter dem Haus is the back. Learn them as a pair.

    vor ↔ hinter

  3. hinters = hinter das

    It is shortened in speech: hinters Haus gehen. Only the Akkusativ, and only with neuter nouns.

    Wir gehen hinters Haus.

  4. hinten is an adverb

    hinten on its own means “at the back / to the back” and takes no noun: Bitte hinten anstellen! hinter, on the other hand, is a preposition and needs a noun.

    Stellen Sie sich hinten an.

Traps

Commonly mixed up

Where a direct translation breaks. The hard questions come from here.

  • Die Katze schläft hinter den Tisch.

    Die Katze schläft hinter dem Tisch.

    A sleeping cat describes a state: Dativ.

  • Er setzt die Katze hinter dem Tisch.

    Er setzt die Katze hinter den Tisch.

    Putting something somewhere is movement: Akkusativ.

  • Versteck dich hinter!

    Versteck dich hinter dem Baum! / Versteck dich hinten!

    hinter cannot stand without a noun; without a noun the word is hinten.

  • hinter's Haus

    hinters Haus

    The contraction takes no apostrophe.