Breakdown of Die Küche ist unten im Erdgeschoss.
sein
to be
in
in
die Küche
the kitchen
unten
downstairs, down there
das Erdgeschoss
the ground floor
Questions & Answers about Die Küche ist unten im Erdgeschoss.
Why does this sentence use unten instead of runter?
The word unten describes a fixed location (where something is), meaning downstairs or at the bottom. The r- words from this lesson, like runter (short for herunter or hinunter), describe movement or direction (where something is going). Since the kitchen is just sitting there and not moving, we use the location word unten.
Why is it im Erdgeschoss instead of in das Erdgeschoss?
The word im is short for in dem. We use the dative case (dem) with the two-way preposition in because the sentence describes a fixed location (where the kitchen is). If someone were walking or moving into the ground floor, you would use the accusative case for direction: in das Erdgeschoss.
How is the word Erdgeschoss formed?
It is a compound noun made of die Erde (the earth or ground) and das Geschoss (the storey or floor of a building). Put together, it literally means earth floor.
Learn Die Küche ist unten im Erdgeschoss 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