{"id":3569,"date":"2012-02-15T15:30:35","date_gmt":"2012-02-15T15:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=3569"},"modified":"2012-02-14T20:34:35","modified_gmt":"2012-02-14T20:34:35","slug":"german-language-in-use-i-live-in-and-i-go-to-using-the-appropriate-articles-and-prepositions-with-german-country-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/german-language-in-use-i-live-in-and-i-go-to-using-the-appropriate-articles-and-prepositions-with-german-country-names\/","title":{"rendered":"German language in use: \u201cI live in\u2026\u201d and \u201cI go to\u2026\u201d – Using the appropriate articles and prepositions with German country names"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my previous post I told you that, beside continents, names of countries and cities are usually neuter in German. But there are also some exceptions. On the basis of these exceptions I\u2019d like show you how the gender of nouns and their respective articles can affect your sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n

I told you that neuter country and city names do not require the neuter article \u201cdas\u201d in German sentences. For example, you do not say:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDas Deutschland liegt in Europa\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But simply:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeutschland liegt in Europa.\u201d \u2013 Germany is located in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is different with country names that require a masculine or feminine article. Compare:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDer Libanon liegt in Vorderasien.\u201d \u2013 \u201cLebanon is located in the Middle East.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDer Jemen liegt auf der Arabischen Halbinsel.\u201d \u2013 \u201cYemen is located on the Arabian Peninsula.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDie Schweiz ist ein Nachbarstaat Deutschlands.\u201d \u2013 \u201cSwitzerland is a neighboring country of Germany.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDie T\u00fcrkei liegt in Europa und Asien.\u201d \u2013 \u201cTurley is located in Europe and Asia.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As you can see, it is necessary that you use the names of these countries with their respective article, otherwise your sentence is incomplete. In case that you are a native speaker of English, you can find a similar rule in your language. For example, the term \u201cNetherlands\u201d is always used with the article \u201cthe\u201d: \u201cthe Netherlands\u201d (die Niederlande). So, when you omit the masculine and feminine article in the German examples above, it always sounds a bit strange.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. How to say \u201cto live in\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

When you want to say in German that you \u201clive in\u201d a particular place you cannot always merely use the German preposition \u201cin\u201d. You rather have to modify the article \u201cin\u201d according to gender and case.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

a) with neuter country or city names<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you want to say that you live in a particular country (or city) that requires the neuter article in German, you simple use the preposition \u201cin<\/strong>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe\/wohne in<\/strong> Deutschland. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe\/wohne in<\/strong> Spanien. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Spain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe\/wohne in<\/strong> Chicago. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Chicago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe\/wohne in<\/strong> Berlin. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Berlin.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

b) with masculine country or city names<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you live, for example, in Yemen or Lebanon you cannot use the German preposition \u201cin\u201d, but have to use the preposition \u201cim<\/strong>\u201d, which is the contracted form of in+dem => im.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe im<\/strong> Libanon. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Lebanon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe im<\/strong> Jemen. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Yemen.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

c) with feminine country or city names<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you live in countries that require the feminine article in German, for example, Switzerland, Slovakia, or Turkey you have to use the preposition \u201cin<\/strong>\u201d plus the article \u201cder<\/strong>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe in der<\/strong> Schweiz. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Switzerland.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe in der<\/strong> Slowakei. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Slovakia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe in der<\/strong> T\u00fcrkei. \u2013 I live in<\/strong> Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

d) in the Netherlands<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Just like in English, the German designation \u201cdie Niederlande\u201d (the Netherlands) is a plural noun. Therefore, the article has to be modified.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich lebe in den<\/strong> Niederlanden. \u2013 I live in the<\/strong> Netherlands.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. How to say \u201cto go to\u2026\u201d or \u201cto travel to\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

When you go to or travel to any country in the world, you can use different prepositions in German. Which preposition\u00a0 you have to use is always dependent on the gender of the noun.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

a) With neuter country or city names<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you want so say that you \u201cgo to\u201d or \u201ctravel to\u201d a particular country that requires the neuter gender in German, you have to use the German preposition \u201cnach<\/strong>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fliege\/reise nach<\/strong> Amerika. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> America.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fliege\/reise nach<\/strong> Indien. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> India.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fliege\/reise nach<\/strong> Frankreich. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> France.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fleige\/reise nach<\/strong> Deutschland. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n

Note: Unlike in English, you can always indicate how you get to a particular place by using the appropriate verb. You use \u201cfahren\u201d (to drive) when you go there by train, car, bus, or ship, and \u201cfliegen\u201d (to fly) when you go there by plane.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

b) With masculine country or city names<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you want to say in German that you travel to countries that require the masculine gender you use the preposition \u201cin<\/strong>\u201d plus the modified article \u201cden<\/strong>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fliege\/reise in den<\/strong> Libanon. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> Lebanon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fliege\/reise in den<\/strong> Yemen. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> Yemen.<\/span><\/p>\n

c) With feminine country or city names<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you want to say in German that you go to a country that requires the feminine gender in German you use the preposition \u201cin<\/strong>\u201d plus the article \u201cdie<\/strong>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fliege\/reise in die<\/strong> Schweiz. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> Switzerland.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fliege\/reise in die<\/strong> Slowakei. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> Slovakia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ich fahre\/fliege\/reise in die<\/strong> T\u00fcrkei. \u2013 I go to\/travel to<\/strong> Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In my previous post I told you that, beside continents, names of countries and cities are usually neuter in German. But there are also some exceptions. On the basis of these exceptions I\u2019d like show you how the gender of nouns and their respective articles can affect your sentences. I told you that neuter country…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[11971,8],"tags":[3106,8302,935,125],"class_list":["post-3569","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-grammar-language","category-language","tag-articles","tag-country-names","tag-german","tag-prepositions"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3569"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3580,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3569\/revisions\/3580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}