Learn Hardcore German: Der Stuhl neben dem Tisch im Garten ist frei. - The chair next to the table in the garden is free.

neben is a two-way (Wechsel-) preposition in German, which means it can take either the accusative or dative case depending on whether there is movement toward something (accusative) or location/static position (dative). Here, we are describing where the chair is (a static location), so we use the dative. For masculine nouns like der Tisch, the dative form is dem Tisch.

What case is im Garten, and why is im used instead of in dem?

im is the contracted form of in dem, where in is followed by a masculine or neuter dative article. Since Garten is masculine (der Garten), and we’re indicating a location (static), we use dative: in dem Garten → im Garten.

Why is the article der used with Stuhl? Could it be das or die?

Stuhl is a masculine noun in German, so its nominative singular article is der. das is for neuter nouns, and die is for feminine nouns or plurals.

What does ist frei mean in this context?

Literally, ist frei means “is free.” In this context it doesn’t mean “not busy,” but rather “available” or “vacant.” You might translate the whole sentence as: “The chair next to the table in the garden is available.”

Why does the sentence order put neben dem Tisch before im Garten?

German word order is quite flexible with prepositional phrases. Putting neben dem Tisch first emphasizes the immediate position (next to the table), then im Garten adds the broader location (in the garden). You could also say Der Stuhl im Garten neben dem Tisch ist frei, but the given order sounds more natural if you want to focus on “next to the table” as the primary detail.

How would I turn this statement into a yes/no question?

You move the finite verb ist to the front:
Ist der Stuhl neben dem Tisch im Garten frei?

Can you stack multiple prepositional phrases like this in German?

Yes. German allows you to attach several location phrases one after another. The case of each phrase is determined independently by its preposition (here both require dative). Just be mindful of clarity and emphasis: too many stacked phrases can become hard to follow.

Is there any difference between neben dem Tisch and an dem Tisch?

Yes. neben dem Tisch means next to the table (beside it), while an dem Tisch (often contracted to am Tisch) means at the table (implying next to it in a way that you’re using or leaning on it). They both use dative here because they describe location.

How do I pronounce neben dem Tisch im Garten?

A rough phonetic guide:

neben [ˈneːbən] (“NAY-ben”)
dem [deːm] (“DAYM”)
Tisch [tɪʃ] (“tish”)
im [ɪm] (“im”)
Garten [ˈɡaʁtn̩] (“GAR-ten”)

Put it together smoothly: “NAY-ben daym tish im GAR-ten.”