Breakdown of Ich sehe drei Fenster im Wohnzimmer.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
ich
I
das Fenster
the window
Questions & Answers about Ich sehe drei Fenster im Wohnzimmer.
Why is im used instead of in dem?
In German, the preposition in plus the definite article dem contracts to im for ease of pronunciation and writing. So im Wohnzimmer literally equals in dem Wohnzimmer.
Why is Wohnzimmer in the dative case here and not another case?
Because you’re describing a static location (“where” you see the windows). With the preposition in, a location (no movement) requires the dative case. Hence dem Wohnzimmer (contracted to im Wohnzimmer) appears in dative. If there were movement into the living room, you’d use accusative: in das Wohnzimmer.
Why is there no article before drei Fenster?
When you use a numeral in German, that numeral acts like a determiner and replaces the article. You simply say drei Fenster, not die drei Fenster—unless you specifically want to refer to a known set, in which case Ich sehe die drei Fenster is also correct.
Which case is drei Fenster in, and why doesn’t drei change its form?