the preposition zwischen
die Präposition zwischen
zwischen (“between”) is a two-way preposition: it takes the Dative for a location and the Accusative for a direction.
The preposition zwischen takes the Dative for a location (where?) and the Accusative for a direction (where to?). English “between” never changes, so the usual slips are mixing up “I’m putting it between…” (movement) with “it’s sitting between…” (location), and getting the case wrong on pronouns.
1. zwischen: Wo? (Dative) or Wohin? (Accusative)?
zwischen belongs to the group of two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen). If the sentence has no movement, only a location, the question is Wo? (Where?) and the case is the Dative. If the sentence has movement toward a target, the question is Wohin? (Where to?) and the case is the Accusative.
The same preposition takes a different case depending on the verb: Ich sitze zwischen den Freunden. (I’m sitting between my friends — location verb sitzen, Dative) vs. Ich setze mich zwischen die Freunde. (I’m sitting down between my friends — movement verb sich setzen, Accusative). The first states a situation; the second describes an action.
The rule is simple: change of place means Accusative, no change of place means Dative.
2. Sentences about location (Dative / Wo?)
In the sentences below nothing is moving; we are asking where something is (Wo?). That is why the articles and pronouns are in the Dative. Don’t forget the Dative -n on plural nouns.
| German | English | Hint |
|---|---|---|
| Der Ball liegt zwischen dem Tisch und dem Stuhl. | The ball is lying between the table and the chair. | der → dem (masculine nouns in the Dative) |
| Wir parken das Auto zwischen den Bäumen. | We park the car between the trees (the result is a location). | die → den (plural Dative) + -n on the noun: Bäume-n |
| Sie steht zwischen ihrer Mutter und ihrem Vater. | She is standing between her mother and her father. | ihrer (feminine Dativ), ihrem (masculine Dativ) |
| Das Buch ist zwischen den Heften. | The book is between the notebooks. | den + Heft-e-n (plural Dative -n) |
In the Dative the article changes: der→dem, die→der, das→dem, die (plural)→den, and the plural noun takes -n.
- zwischen ... und ... between ... and ... (time/place) Basic pattern
- sich zwischen ... und ... entscheiden to choose between ... and ... Reflexive verb · zwischen + Dat
- der Unterschied zwischen ... und ... the difference between ... and ... Noun + preposition
- die Beziehung zwischen ... und ... the relationship between ... and ... Noun + preposition
- irgendwo zwischen ... und ... somewhere between ... and ... Indefinite adverb
- vermitteln zwischen ... und ... to mediate between ... and ... Verb + Dative
3. Sentences about direction (Accusative / Wohin?)
Here something is being put between two things or is moving there. The question is Wohin? (Where to?). The articles are in the Accusative (only masculine der → den changes; feminine, neuter and plural articles stay as in the Nominative: die, das, die — but the case is still Accusative).
| German | English | Hint |
|---|---|---|
| Er stellt die Vase zwischen die Blumen. | He puts the vase between the flowers. | die Blumen (the plural article doesn’t change in the Accusative: die) |
| Ich schiebe den Brief zwischen die Seiten. | I slip the letter between the pages. | die Seiten (plural Accusative article die) |
| Der Hund läuft mir zwischen die Beine. | The dog runs between my legs. | die Beine (plural), movement: laufen + Acc |
| Wir stellen den Grill zwischen das Haus und die Garage. | We are putting the grill between the house and the garage. | das (neuter Accusative), die (feminine Accusative) |
In the Accusative only the masculine article changes (der → den). Feminine, neuter and plural articles (die, das, die) stay as in the Nominative. Don’t confuse them with the Dative forms (der, dem, den): the case is Accusative and it shows direction.
4. Contractions and time expressions
zwischen never contracts with an article (it has no short form like ins, am, zum); the article is always written separately: zwischen dem, zwischen den. Because it describes the space between two things or people, it either links two nouns (zwischen ... und ...) or takes a plural noun (zwischen den Bäumen).
Time expressions use the same pattern, and the case is the Dative (just like a location): zwischen 8 und 9 Uhr (between 8 and 9 o’clock), zwischen Montag und Freitag (between Monday and Friday). With articles: zwischen dem 1. und dem 5. Mai.
Time expressions always take the Dative, because they state a “position in time”, not a direction.
Traps
Wrong case on a pronoun (using the Nominative)
After a preposition, pronouns can never be Nominative (ich, du, er, sie, es, wir, ihr, sie). They must be Dative or Accusative. English speakers slip here because “between you and I” sounds natural in casual speech.
Das ist ein Geheimnis zwischen ich und du.
ich/du are Nominative (1st case) and can’t follow a preposition.
Das ist ein Geheimnis zwischen mir und dir.
mir/dir are Dative (3rd case) — it states a position.
Using zwischen with only one thing
zwischen describes the space between two things. With a single noun the sentence is left hanging — either the second noun follows, or you use a plural.
Ich stelle die Flasche zwischen den Kühlschrank.
between it and what? The second side is missing.
Ich stelle die Flasche zwischen den Kühlschrank und die Wand.
I’m putting the bottle between the fridge and the wall.
Missing plural Dative -n
In the Dative plural the noun takes an -n (and so does any adjective or article ending that needs it). If you forget it, the grammar breaks.
Er sitzt zwischen den Freund.
Freund is still singular, but den is a plural article → the noun must be Freunden.
Er sitzt zwischen den Freunden.
Freund-e-n (plural Dative -n added).
What you just learned
Wir parken das Auto zwischen ___ Bäumen.
Show the answer
den. The result of parken is a location, so the Dative is used. The plural Dative article is den.
The sentence «Das ist ein Geheimnis zwischen ich und du.» is correct.
Show the answer
False. After zwischen pronouns can’t be Nominative (ich/du); they must be Dative: zwischen mir und dir.
I’m putting the vase between the table and the cabinet. (movement)
Show the answer
Ich stelle die Vase zwischen den Tisch und den Schrank. — Correct. Stellen (to put, to stand something) is a movement verb → Wohin? → Accusative. Masculine nouns: den Tisch, den Schrank.
Build the sentence yourself
Tap the words and put them in order. This is the hardest part of German — and there are no options to pick from, you build it.
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Know this before the test
The core of the topic in three lines, then the mistakes people make most often.
- zwischen = the space between TWO things
Two cases: standing still takes the Dative, moving toward takes the Accusative. It always wants two sides: zwischen A und B.
Das Kind sitzt zwischen Mutter und Vater.
- Putting something between takes the Accusative
Ich stelle die Vase zwischen den Tisch und den Schrank.
zwischen die Hefte klemmen
- A time span takes the Dative
zwischen 14 und 15 Uhr — the language of appointments and deliveries.
Das Meeting ist zwischen 14 und 15 Uhr.
- Difference and relationship use zwischen too
der Unterschied zwischen X und Y · die Beziehung zwischen uns.
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen mir und dir?
zwischen meinen Freunde
zwischen meinen Freunden
The plural Dative needs -n.
unter dir und mir
zwischen dir und mir
With two sides use zwischen; unter means “among” a group.
Ich stelle die Vase zwischen dem Tisch und dem Schrank.
… zwischen den Tisch und den Schrank.
Putting is a direction: Accusative.
zwischen Montag und Freitag habe ich Kurs (every single day, without a break)
von Montag bis Freitag habe ich Kurs
A continuous span is von … bis; zwischen describes ONE point between two ends.
Test yourself
Tap an answer — we will look at why together.
The child is sitting between their mother and their father. (location)
I’m putting the vase between the table and the cabinet. (movement)
The village lies between Hamburg and Bremen.
What is the difference between you and me?
der Unterschied = difference
I’m squeezing the book in between the notebooks. (movement)
The meeting is between 2 and 3 p.m.
Practice done — –
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zwischen pocket card
This whole page — tables, traps, examples — as one PDF. Download it, print it, run through it before the exam.
Related topics
wo? · wohin?
in die Küche or in der Küche?
The questions wo?, wohin?
Prepositions and cases
für dich, mit dir
German prepositions are small words that come before a noun, link it to the sentence and decide its case: für dich, mit dir.
Akkusativ & Dativ
the full article table
Accusative vs dative: what actually changes, and what never moves at all.