Ich wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung.

in

Breakdown of Ich wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung.

• ich: I
• klein: small
• wohnen: to live

Questions & Answers about Ich wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung.

Why is in followed by einer instead of eine?

Because in here indicates a static location (answering “wo?”), and in that context in always takes the dative case. Wohnung is feminine, so the indefinite article eine in nominative becomes einer in dative.

What case is used after in in this sentence, and how can I tell?

It’s the dative case. You can tell because the verb wohnen expresses where you reside (no motion toward), and German prepositions of location take dative. The feminine dative form of eine is einer.

Why does the adjective klein get an -en ending?

Adjective endings depend on the case, gender and type of article. Here you have an indefinite article (einer) in the dative case modifying a feminine noun. Under “mixed” declension rules, all adjectives following an article with a clear ending take -en, so klein becomes kleinen.

Can I drop the word in and just say Ich wohne einer kleinen Wohnung?

No. The verb wohnen does not take a direct object—you must use a preposition to show location. in + dative tells the listener where you live. Without in, the sentence is ungrammatical.