Genau
Topic test · A1

The preposition in test

13questions
8minutes
60%pass mark
Start the test Read the topic first

One question at a time, the clock runs. Answers stay closed like a real exam: you see every correct answer with its explanation at the end. Score 60% to finish the topic.

Topic test

13 questions, easy to hard

Pick an option and press «Next». You can go back and change it. Anything left blank counts as wrong.

I am in the kitchen.

Ich bin in der Küche. bin shows a position and takes the Dativ: in der.

He is going to the park.

Er geht in den Park. The movement verb geht takes the Akkusativ: in den.

I put the book into the bag.

Ich lege das Buch in die Tasche. legen is movement → Akkusativ in die.

In January

im Januar. Months and seasons use in + Dativ, and in dem contracts to im. Days take am, clock times take um — the three never mix.

We will see each other in a week.

Wir sehen uns in einer Woche. A stretch of time takes the Dativ: in einer.

He is going into the house.

ins Haus. There is movement → Akkusativ → in das = ins. im Haus would mean “he is walking around inside the house”, and an das Haus means “up to the side of the house” — not going in.

The mouse is hiding in the hole.

Die Maus versteckt sich im Loch. sich verstecken describes a position here and takes the Dativ: in dem → im.

Sommer fahren wir ans Meer.

In summer we go to the sea.

Seasons and months take im: im Sommer · im Januar. Days take am, clock times take um.

Meine Schwester wohnt der Stadt.

My sister lives in the city.

Living in a city: in der Stadt — it shows a place, so the Dativ. If she were moving to the city, it would be in die Stadt.

Which one is correct?

Going to bed is a direction: in das = ins Bett. Being in bed is im Bett.

The sentence «Ich gehe in der Park.» is correct.

False. Going expresses direction/movement, so the Akkusativ is needed: in den Park.

Sommer fahren wir ans Meer.

In summer we go to the sea.

Im. Seasons are expressed with im, the contraction of in dem.

Build the sentence: The keys are in the bag (die Tasche).

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

Die Schlüssel sind in der Tasche. When it shows a location (wo?), in takes the Dativ. So die Tasche becomes in der Tasche.
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. The most common preposition, with two cases

    Being inside takes the Dativ (in der Küche), going inside takes the Akkusativ (in die Küche).

    Ich bin in der Küche. → Ich gehe in die Küche.

  2. im = in dem · ins = in das

    Both contractions are very common: im Kino (inside) · ins Kino (into).

    Er geht ins Haus.

  3. Months, seasons, years: im

    im Januar · im Sommer · im Jahr 2026. Days take am, clock times take um — keep the three together.

    Im Sommer fahren wir ans Meer.

  4. in einer Woche = a week from now

    A span in the future uses in + Dativ: in einer Woche · in zwei Stunden. Do not translate it as “within”; read it as “in … time”.

    Wir sehen uns in einer Woche.

Traps

Commonly mixed up

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

  • Ich gehe im Kino.

    Ich gehe ins Kino.

    Going is a direction: Akkusativ → ins.

  • Am Januar beginnt das Jahr.

    Im Januar beginnt das Jahr.

    Months take im; am belongs to days.

  • Wir sehen uns in eine Woche.

    Wir sehen uns in einer Woche.

    in in the sense of time takes the Dativ.

  • Ich lege das Buch in der Tasche.

    Ich lege das Buch in die Tasche.

    Putting is movement: Akkusativ.