Learn Hardcore German: In diesem Jahr möchte ich im Sommer ans Meer reisen. - This year I would like to travel to the sea in summer.

In German, the preposition in can govern either dative or accusative, depending on whether it expresses location (wo?) or direction (wohin?). However, when in refers to a point or period in time—like a specific year, month or season—it always takes the dative.

dieses Jahr (this year) is a noun phrase on its own.
in diesem Jahr literally means “in this year,” hence dem Jahr (dative neuter) → in dem Jahr → in diesem Jahr.

What’s the difference between in diesem Jahr and dieses Jahr?

Both translate to “this year,” but:

dieses Jahr is a standalone noun phrase, more informal and often used without a preposition.
in diesem Jahr explicitly situates an action within this calendar year, which can sound a bit more formal or precise.

Example:

Dieses Jahr habe ich viel gearbeitet.
In diesem Jahr habe ich viel gearbeitet.

Why is im Sommer used instead of in dem Sommer?

im is simply the contraction of in + dem (dative neuter). Since Sommer is masculine (der Sommer), in the dative it becomes dem Sommer → in dem Sommer → im Sommer. Germans almost always use the contraction im in speech and writing.

Why is ans Meer used instead of an das Meer, zum Meer, ins Meer, or just an Meer?

ans Meer = an
- das (dative or accusative?) → here accusative because it’s movement toward the sea (wohin?). So an das Meer → ans Meer.
zum Meer (zu + dem) also means “to the sea,” but reisen ans Meer is a set phrase implying a seaside holiday rather than simply “going toward” it.
ins Meer (in + das) would mean “into the sea” (physically entering the water).
an Meer without an article is ungrammatical here—standard German requires the article with an in this context.

Why is the infinitive reisen placed at the end of the sentence?

In a German main clause containing a modal verb (möchte), the rule is:

The finite verb (möchte) occupies the second position.
The non‑finite verb (reisen) goes to the very end.
So after you’ve placed your subject and objects/adverbials, the bare infinitive always comes last.

Why do we say möchte ich instead of ich möchte?

German is a V2‑language: the finite verb must be the second “slot” in a main clause. When you start a sentence with a time expression like In diesem Jahr, that phrase takes slot 1. Therefore the finite verb (möchte) moves into slot 2, and the subject (ich) follows in slot 3.

Could we use will instead of möchte here? What’s the difference between möchte and will?

will (from wollen) is stronger—more like “I intend to/truly want to.”
möchte is the subjunctive form of mögen and is more polite or tentative—“I would like to.”

In diesem Jahr will ich … ans Meer reisen. → “This year I really intend to travel to the sea.”
In diesem Jahr möchte ich … ans Meer reisen. → “This year I would like to travel to the sea.”

Why is reisen used instead of fahren or fliegen?

reisen is a general verb meaning “to travel” (by any means). If you want to specify the mode of transport, you could say:

fahren (to go/drive by car, bike, bus, train) – e.g. ans Meer fahren
fliegen (to fly) – e.g. ans Meer fliegen

But reisen ans Meer simply emphasizes the trip itself, without focusing on how you get there.