Breakdown of Ich lege das Buch in den Schrank.
in
in
ich
I
das Buch
the book
legen
to put
der Schrank
the cupboard
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Questions & Answers about Ich lege das Buch in den Schrank.
Why is the prepositional phrase in den Schrank in the accusative and not im Schrank (dative)?
German prepositions like in can govern either dative or accusative, depending on whether you describe location (dative) or movement into something (accusative). Here you’re putting the book into the cabinet—motion—so you need accusative den Schrank. If the book were already inside, you’d say im Schrank (short for in dem Schrank) to indicate a static location.
Why do we use the verb legen instead of stellen or setzen?
German distinguishes placement verbs by the orientation of the object:
- legen = to lay something down horizontally
- stellen = to place something in an upright (vertical) position
- setzen = to seat something (or someone)
Since a book typically lies flat on a shelf, legen is the correct choice.
Why is the article das used for Buch?
Buch is a neuter noun in German. Its definite article in both nominative and accusative singular is das. Here das Buch functions as the direct object (accusative), but neuter das remains unchanged.
Could you contract in den to ins like you do with in das?
No. The contraction ins is only for in + das (neuter). Der Schrank is masculine, so the accusative article is den, and in den cannot be contracted.
What is the standard word order here, and can you move the prepositional phrase to the front?
The default order is Subject–Verb–Object–Prepositional Phrase (S–V–O–P):
Ich lege | das Buch | in den Schrank.
You can front the PP for emphasis, but the finite verb stays in second position:
In den Schrank lege ich das Buch.
How would you express that the book is already in the cabinet (no movement)?
Switch to the dative to show location instead of motion:
- Das Buch liegt im Schrank. (The book lies in the cabinet.)
- Or if you still want to use legen: Ich lege das Buch im Schrank ab.
When would you use hinein or rein instead of specifying in den Schrank?
hinein (or the colloquial rein) means “into it.” You use it when the container is clear from context:
- Ich lege das Buch hinein.
Without additional context you wouldn’t know where “inside” is, so you usually specify in den Schrank first.
What’s the difference between Schrank and Regal, and how would that change the sentence?
- Schrank = cabinet/wardrobe (an enclosed piece of furniture with doors)
- Regal = shelf/bookcase (open shelving)
If you mean “shelf,” you’d say ins Regal (contraction of in das Regal):
Ich lege das Buch ins Regal.