Breakdown of Wohin legen wir den Teppich?
wir
we
wohin
where to
legen
to lay / to put (flat)
der Teppich
the carpet / the rug
Questions & Answers about Wohin legen wir den Teppich?
Why is the question word Wohin instead of just Wo?
Wohin asks "where to?" and always implies movement toward a destination. Since we are actively moving the rug to a new spot, we must use Wohin. Wo is used to ask about a fixed, motionless location, like where the rug is already lying.
Why do we use the verb legen for "putting"?
In German, you have to be specific about how you place an object. Legen means to lay something flat horizontally. Since a rug goes flat on the floor, legen is the perfect fit! If you were putting something upright, like a floor lamp, you would use stellen instead.
Why is it den Teppich and not der Teppich?
Teppich is a masculine noun (der Teppich). Because it is the direct object of the sentence—the thing being physically moved by "us"—it must be in the accusative case. For masculine nouns, der changes to den in the accusative.
Why does the verb legen come before wir?
In German "W-questions" (questions starting with a question word like Wohin, Wo, or Was), the conjugated verb must always take the second position. The subject (wir) then immediately follows the verb.
Learn Wohin legen wir den Teppich 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