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Questions & Answers about Ich wohne in Berlin.
Why is there no article before Berlin?
In German, city names normally stand without an article. You simply say in Berlin, not in der Stadt Berlin or in das Berlin. Some countries or regions do take articles (e.g. die Schweiz, die USA), but Berlin does not.
What case does in take here, and why?
The preposition in can govern either dative (for location) or accusative (for motion). Since Ich wohne in Berlin expresses a static location (“where I live”), in uses the dative. Because Berlin is a proper noun without an article, you don’t see a special ending, but it’s understood as dative.
Could I say im Berlin or ins Berlin instead?
No.
- im = in dem (dative) is used with definite nouns (e.g. im Haus), but city names drop the article.
- ins = in das (accusative) indicates movement into something.
Neither fits for stating your residence in a city.
Why is wohnen placed in second position?