Ich gehe zum Haus.

the; (masculine or neuter, dative)

Breakdown of Ich gehe zum Haus.

• das Haus: the house
• ich: I
• gehen: to go

Questions & Answers about Ich gehe zum Haus.

Why is it zum and not zu das when referring to the house?

In German, zu and the definite article das contract to form zum when referring to a masculine or neuter noun in the dative case. Since Haus is neuter (das Haus) and it’s in the dative case here (after zu), zu das becomes zum.

Could I also say Ich gehe ins Haus?

Yes, but Ich gehe ins Haus (contracting in das to ins) means I am going (into) the house, emphasizing entering the building. Meanwhile, Ich gehe zum Haus focuses on the direction towards the house but not necessarily inside.

What verb tense is being used in Ich gehe zum Haus?

The verb gehe is in the present tense. It translates to I go or I’m going in English. German doesn’t typically use a separate continuous tense, so ich gehe can mean I go or I am going depending on the context.

Why isn’t there a preposition like nach used here?