Breakdown of Das Bild ist an der Wand.
sein
to be
das Bild
the picture
an
at, on (vertical) / to (addressee) / of (in quantity/stock expressions)
die Wand
the wall
Questions & Answers about Das Bild ist an der Wand.
Why use an here instead of auf for 'on'?
In German, an is used for being attached to or touching a vertical surface (like a wall or a window). auf is used for resting on top of a horizontal surface (like a table or the floor). Since a picture hangs vertically, we use an.
I thought 'wall' was feminine (die Wand). Why does it say an der Wand?
You are right, it is die Wand! However, because the picture is in a fixed location (answering the question 'Where?'), the preposition an triggers the Dative case. In the Dative case, the feminine die changes to der.
So der isn't just for masculine words?
Exactly! While der is the masculine 'the' when a word is the subject (Nominative case), it is also the feminine 'the' in the Dative case. It can be tricky at first, but der Wand here is definitely feminine.
Is an always a Dative preposition?
No, an is a 'two-way preposition'. It uses the Dative case for fixed locations (like in this sentence). But if you were describing movement towards a goal, like actively hanging the picture onto the wall, it would use the Accusative case instead.
Learn Das Bild ist an der Wand and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free