……
Breakdown of Ich wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung.
in
in
ich
I
klein
small
wohnen
to live
die Wohnung
the apartment
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.
What’s the difference between wohnen and leben? Could I use leben in this sentence?
Wohnen specifically means “to reside” in a place (focus on your home or address). Leben is broader—it means “to live” in the sense of existing or spending your life somewhere. You can say Ich lebe in einer kleinen Wohnung, but if you want to emphasize your residence or address, wohnen is the more natural choice.
Why is Wohnung capitalized?
In German, all nouns are capitalized, no matter where they appear in a sentence. Since Wohnung is a noun (meaning “apartment” or “flat”), it must start with a capital W.
Could I replace Wohnung with Haus, and what would change?
Yes. Haus is a neuter noun, so “in a small house” would be in einem kleinen Haus. Notice einem (neuter dative) instead of einer (feminine dative).
What happens if I use in with movement—can the case change?
Yes. In takes accusative when you express movement toward something. For example, Ich gehe in eine kleine Wohnung (“I’m going into a small apartment”) uses eine (accusative feminine), not einer. Static location = dative; motion toward = accusative.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GermanMaster German — from Ich wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions