Breakdown of Im Bad liegt eine neue Zahnbürste neben dem Spiegel.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
neu
new
liegen
to lie
neben
next to
das Bad
the bathroom
die Zahnbürste
the toothbrush
der Spiegel
the mirror
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Questions & Answers about Im Bad liegt eine neue Zahnbürste neben dem Spiegel.
Why is Im Bad used instead of just In Bad, and what does Im stand for?
Im is simply the contraction of in dem. In German, when you describe a static location with in (a two‑way preposition) you must use the dative case. Bad (“bathroom”) is neuter, so the definite article das in dative becomes dem, giving in dem Bad, which is normally shortened to im Bad.
When could I use in einem Bad instead of im Bad, and how would the meaning change?
If you say in einem Bad, you’re using the indefinite article einem (dative of ein). That means “in a bathroom” (any bathroom, unspecified). By contrast, im Bad uses the definite article, referring to a specific bathroom already known to the speaker and listener (“in the bathroom”).
Why does eine neue Zahnbürste have an –e ending on neue?
In eine neue Zahnbürste, the noun Zahnbürste is feminine and in the nominative case (it’s the subject). After the indefinite article eine, adjectives follow the mixed‑declension pattern and take an –e ending in nominative feminine singular. Thus eine neue and not eine neuen or eine neu.
Why is eine neue Zahnbürste in the nominative case in this sentence?
The verb liegen is intransitive and describes where something is located. The thing that “lies” (die Zahnbürste) functions as the subject of the sentence, so it must appear in the nominative case—not accusative.
Why is liegt used instead of ist or steht?
In English you might say “there is a toothbrush in the bathroom,” but German prefers using positional verbs to show where something rests.
- liegen = to lie (horizontally)
- stehen = to stand (upright)
- hängen = to hang
Using ist with a noun would just mean “it exists,” not “it lies somewhere.” Hence liegt for a toothbrush lying flat.
What’s the difference between liegen and legen?
They look similar but differ in transitivity:
- liegen is intransitive: “to lie/ be lying.” You say Die Zahnbürste liegt (the toothbrush lies).
- legen is transitive: “to lay (something).” You say Ich lege die Zahnbürste (I lay the toothbrush down).
Why is neben dem Spiegel in the dative case?
Neben is another two‑way preposition. When it indicates a fixed location (no movement), it takes the dative. Spiegel is masculine (der Spiegel), so in dative it becomes dem Spiegel – giving neben dem Spiegel (“next to the mirror”).
Could I start the sentence with Eine neue Zahnbürste instead of Im Bad, and how would the word order change?
Yes. German main clauses follow the Verb‑Second (V2) rule: the finite verb (liegt) must be in the second position. If you front the subject, it goes:
Eine neue Zahnbürste | liegt | im Bad | neben dem Spiegel.
This simply shifts Im Bad to appear after the verb and subject.