Die Kantine liegt neben dem Büro, deshalb gehe ich sowohl morgens als auch abends dorthin.

The canteen is next to the office, therefore I go there both in the morning and in the evening.

Breakdown of Die Kantine liegt neben dem Büro, deshalb gehe ich sowohl morgens als auch abends dorthin.

• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• ich: I
• gehen: to go
• deshalb: therefore
• liegen: to lie
• das Büro: the office
• dorthin: there
• neben: next to
• abends: in the evening
• morgens: in the morning
• die Kantine: the canteen
• sowohl ... als auch: both ... and

Questions & Answers about Die Kantine liegt neben dem Büro, deshalb gehe ich sowohl morgens als auch abends dorthin.

Why is it neben dem Büro and not neben das Büro or neben den Büro?

Because neben is a two-way preposition. When it answers the question “wo?” (where?), it takes the dative case. Büro is masculine singular, so it becomes dem Büro.

Why is deshalb placed at the very beginning of the second clause, and why does gehe come before ich?

Deshalb is a sentence adverb meaning “therefore/that’s why.” In German, when a single element (like deshalb) opens a main clause, it occupies position 1 and forces the finite verb into position 2, causing the subject (ich) to follow the verb.

What does the construction sowohl … als auch do in this sentence?

Sowohl … als auch is a pair of correlative conjunctions meaning “both … and ….” It connects two parallel elements—in this case morgens and abends—to emphasize that the action happens at both those times.

Why are morgens and abends used without articles or prepositions?

They are temporal adverbs formed from plural nouns: morgens = “in the mornings,” abends = “in the evenings.” German regularly drops articles and prepositions when using these time-of-day adverbs to indicate habitual actions.

Why is dorthin used at the end instead of simply saying dort or dahin?

Dorthin is a directional adverb meaning “to there.” It indicates movement toward a place.

• Dort would just mean “there” (location without movement).
• Dahin is more general (“to that place”), whereas dorthin specifically points back to the previously mentioned location (the Kantine).

Could I replace liegt with ist and still be correct?

Yes. Die Kantine ist neben dem Büro is grammatically correct and means roughly the same.
Using liegen (liegt) emphasizes the physical positioning or layout of the building, whereas sein (ist) is a more neutral “to be” verb for location. Both are acceptable.

Why is the verb in the first clause liegt and not another verb like steht or liegt?

Liegen describes something being located in a horizontal or flat position. A building or room is commonly described with liegen when speaking of its placement on a site.

• Stehen would suggest something standing upright (e.g., a tree or statue),
• Sitzen is used for people or animals “sitting,”
• Sein is a general verb “to be” but doesn’t convey the nuance of physical placement.