Genau
Topic test · A2

wo? · wohin? 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.

Ich hänge das Bild Wand.

I’m hanging the picture on the wall.

an die. The picture was not on the wall; the act of hanging brings it there — a boundary is crossed, so Akkusativ. die Wand is feminine, so it stays die in the Akkusativ too. The counterpart: Das Bild hängt an der Wand. — now it is just there, Dativ.

Ich laufe jeden Morgen Park.

I run in the park every morning.

im. You are running, so there is movement all the way — but every morning you run inside the park and never cross its edge. It gives a place: Dativ, in dem → im. in den Park would mean “I run into the park every morning”.

Stell die Flasche bitte Kühlschrank.

Please put the bottle in the fridge.

in den. stellen is a putting verb, and the bottle arrives in the fridge → Akkusativ. der Kühlschrank is masculine, so it becomes den in the Akkusativ. When you describe the result, the case changes: Die Flasche steht im Kühlschrank.

Das Buch schon zwei Wochen auf meinem Tisch.

The book has been lying on my table for two weeks.

liegt. The sentence says auf meinem Tisch — if you spot an -m, it is Dativ, and Dativ calls for the staying verb. legen needs an object and would take the Akkusativ: Ich lege das Buch auf meinen Tisch.

Ich nehme Deutschkurs teil.

I’m taking part in the German course.

am. The wohin/wo logic does not apply here at all: teilnehmen an is a fixed verb + preposition pair and always takes the Dativ. der Deutschkurs → an dem → am. Same family: arbeiten an + Dat, leiden unter + Dat.

Das Bild hat jahrelang an der Wand .

The picture hung on the wall for years.

gehangen. In the present hängen looks like a single word; in the past it splits in two. hängen in the sense of being there changes its stem: hing · hat gehangen. The act of hanging something up is regular: Ich habe das Bild an die Wand gehängt.

Die Lampe hängt dem Tisch.

The lamp is hanging above the table (in mid-air).

The lamp does not touch the table, it hangs in mid-air above it: über. auf needs contact, an needs a side surface.

Er legt das Handy Tisch.

He’s putting the phone on the table.

legen is a movement verb: the question where to? calls for the Akkusativ — auf den Tisch. For something that is just lying there you use liegen + Dativ.

Wir treffen uns Bahnhof.

We’re meeting at the station.

A meeting point is a place, not a movement: Dativ. You meet “at” the station — an + dem = am.

Which one is correct?

Going is direction → Akkusativ (ins). Being is place → Dativ (im). Memorise the two sentences side by side.

Ich gehe in der Park. is correct because the sentence expresses movement.

Movement (where to?) requires the Akkusativ: it has to be in den Park.

Wir sind Kino. (we’re at the cinema)

It gives a place, so you use the Dativ (in dem = im).

Build the sentence: I’m putting the book on the table.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. legen expresses a horizontal putting action (direction, where to?), so auf takes the Akkusativ.
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. wohin? → Akkusativ · wo? → Dativ

    If the question is about the direction of movement, you get the Akkusativ; if it is about the place where something is, you get the Dativ. The same preposition can take either case; the question decides.

    Ich gehe ins Kino. · Ich bin im Kino.

  2. Verb pairs: putting / staying

    legen · stellen · hängen · setzen put something somewhere → Akkusativ. liegen · stehen · hängen · sitzen stay there → Dativ.

    Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. → Es liegt auf dem Tisch.

  3. Contractions: am · im · ins · ans

    an dem = am, in dem = im, in das = ins, an das = ans. A contraction hides the case — you cannot pick the case without knowing what it expands to.

    im Park (Dativ) · ins Kino (Akkusativ)

  4. The Perfekt of the staying verbs is irregular

    liegen → gelegen, hängen → gehangen (in the sense of being there), stehen → gestanden. hängen in the sense of putting up is regular: gehängt.

    Das Bild hat an der Wand gehangen.

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 direction: wohin? → Akkusativ → ins.

  • Stell die Flasche in dem Kühlschrank.

    Stell die Flasche in den Kühlschrank.

    stellen is a putting verb; it expresses direction and takes the Akkusativ.

  • Das Buch legt auf dem Tisch.

    Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.

    Something that is just there is expressed with liegen; legen is someone putting it down.

  • Das Bild hat an der Wand gehängt.

    Das Bild hat an der Wand gehangen.

    hängen in the sense of being there is irregular: gehangen.