……
Breakdown of Ich habe im Auto keinen Empfang.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
das Auto
the car
ich
I
haben
to have
kein
no
der Empfang
the reception
Questions & Answers about Ich habe im Auto keinen Empfang.
Why is it im Auto used here instead of ins Auto or in das Auto?
German distinguishes location (Wo?) from direction (Wohin?). When you stay or are situated somewhere, you use the dative. in dem Auto (dative) means “in the car” (location) and contracts to im Auto. If you move into the car (direction), you’d use the accusative: in das Auto → ins Auto.
What case is Auto in with im and why?
With the preposition in, if you’re indicating where something is (location), it takes the dative case. Here Auto is dative, so you have dem Auto → contracted to im Auto.
Why do we say keinen Empfang instead of kein Empfang or nicht Empfang?
Empfang is a masculine noun (der Empfang). To negate it like “no reception,” you need kein declined in the accusative masculine, which becomes keinen. You don’t use nicht to negate a noun alone; nicht negates verbs, adjectives or entire clauses.
What is the case of Empfang and why is it accusative?
Empfang is the direct object of the verb haben (“to have”), so it takes the accusative case. Hence keinen Empfang (accusative masculine).
Could I say Ich habe im Auto kein Empfang?
No—because Empfang is masculine and in the accusative it needs the ending -en with kein (→ keinen Empfang). kein Empfang would be incorrect here.
What does Empfang mean in this context, and is it the same as Signal or Verbindung?
In everyday German Empfang refers to telephone or data reception (mobile or radio). Signal is more technical, meaning raw signal strength, and Verbindung means “connection” (e.g. you’re connected to a network). Someone might say keine Verbindung, but keinen Empfang is the usual phrase when your phone shows “no bars.”
Can I specify “mobile phone reception” more clearly?
Yes—you can say Handyempfang or mobilen Empfang. For example: Ich habe im Auto keinen Handyempfang. That emphasizes it’s the mobile phone signal that’s missing.
Could I swap the order to Ich habe keinen Empfang im Auto?
Yes, you can: placing the direct object first for emphasis is possible. Both Ich habe im Auto keinen Empfang and Ich habe keinen Empfang im Auto are grammatically correct; the first version sounds slightly more neutral, the second emphasizes keinen Empfang.
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 habe im Auto keinen Empfang 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