Log inSign up

Ich gehe zur Post.

Ich gehe zur Post.
I go to the post office.
FromLesson 13inHardcore German
……

Breakdown of Ich gehe zur Post.

ich
I
gehen
to go
zu
to
die Post
the post office
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 German

Master German — from Ich gehe zur Post 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
Start learning German freeBrowse the full course

More from this lesson

die WohnungIch wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung.der FlurDie Wohnung hat einen langen Flur.der SchrankIch lege das Buch in den Schrank.Im Flur steht ein alter Schrank.Gestern habe ich den Schrank repariert.

Questions & Answers about Ich gehe zur Post.

Why do we say zur Post instead of zu die Post or zu der Post?
  • The preposition zu always takes the dative case in German.
  • Post is feminine (die Post), so its dative form is der Post.
  • German contracts zu der into zur, so zu der Post becomes zur Post.
  • You never use zu die because that would be the nominative form, not the required dative.
What does Post mean here? Is it “mail” or “post office”?
  • Post can mean both “mail” (the letters and parcels) and “post office” (the building).
  • In Ich gehe zur Post, it means “to the post office” – the place where you send and receive mail.
  • To talk about the mail itself you might say Die Post ist da (“The mail has arrived”).
Could I say Ich gehe auf die Post instead of zur Post?
  • No. German idiomatically uses zu
    • dative for going to institutions (shops, offices, post office).
  • auf die Post sounds unnatural here. Stick with zur Post for “to the post office.”
If I take the bus or drive, can I still say Ich gehe zur Post?
  • gehen literally means “to walk” or “go on foot.”
  • If you go by vehicle, you use fahren: Ich fahre zur Post (“I’m driving/going by bus to the post office”).
How do I ask someone “Where are you going?” in German?
  • Use Wohin gehst du? (informal) or Wohin gehen Sie? (formal).
  • Wohin means “to where?” and gehst is the second‑person singular of gehen.
Can I also say Ich gehe ins Postamt?
  • Yes. Postamt (neuter) is a more formal term for “post office.”
  • With in, you use the accusative for motion: in das Postamt → ins Postamt.
  • In everyday speech, however, most people say zur Post.
Why do we use the simple present ich gehe to mean “I am going”?
  • German does not have a separate present‑continuous tense.
  • The simple present (ich gehe) covers both “I go” (habit) and “I am going” (right now).
  • Context or time expressions tell you which meaning is meant.
How is zur pronounced?
  • zur is pronounced [tsuːɐ̯]. The z sounds like ts in “cats,” and -ur like “oor” in “poor” with a soft r.
  • It’s just a quick contraction of zu der, said as one syllable.