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In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig.

In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig.
It is quiet in this room.
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Questions & Answers about In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig.

Why do we need es in In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig? Why not just In diesem Zimmer ist ruhig?

German almost always requires a subject, even when English would leave it out.

  • In this sentence, es is a dummy subject (also called an expletive) – it doesn’t really “mean” anything.
  • The real information is:
    • Ort (place): in diesem Zimmer
    • Zustand (state): ruhig

But German grammar wants:

  1. Something in the subject position
  2. A verb
  3. The rest of the information

So you get: In diesem Zimmer (first position) – ist (second) – es (subject in “middle” field) – ruhig.

You cannot say In diesem Zimmer ist ruhig; that sounds ungrammatical, like “In this room is quiet” without a subject. You need es.

Why is it diesem Zimmer and not dieses / dieser Zimmer?

Diesem is the dative singular neuter form of dies- (“this”).

  • The noun Zimmer is:
    • gender: neuter (das Zimmer)
    • number: singular
    • case: dative (because of the preposition in expressing location)

The declension of dies- in the singular is:

  • Nominative:
    • masc: dieser
    • neut: dieses
    • fem: diese
  • Accusative:
    • masc: diesen
    • neut: dieses
    • fem: diese
  • Dative:
    • masc: diesem
    • neut: diesem
    • fem: dieser

Because in here means in this room (location, not movement), you must use dative, so: in diesem Zimmer.

Why is in followed by dative here? When would it use accusative instead?

In is a so‑called “two-way preposition” (Wechselpräposition): it can take dative or accusative, depending on the meaning.

  • Dative = location (where something is)
    → In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig.
    (It is quiet in this room.)

  • Accusative = direction / movement (where something goes)
    → Ich gehe in dieses Zimmer.
    (I am going into this room.)

So:

  • Wo? (Where?) → dative: in diesem Zimmer
  • Wohin? (Where to?) → accusative: in dieses Zimmer
Could I also say Es ist ruhig in diesem Zimmer? Is there any difference?

Yes, Es ist ruhig in diesem Zimmer is perfectly correct.

The differences are mainly about emphasis and information structure:

  • In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig.

    • Emphasizes the location at the beginning.
    • Often used when you contrast rooms or places:
      • In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig, aber im Flur ist es laut.

  • Es ist ruhig in diesem Zimmer.

    • More neutral, typical “default” word order.
    • Starts with es, then adds the place.

Both mean the same in most everyday contexts. The first sounds a bit more focused on this room as the relevant place.

Why can’t I say Im diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig?

Because im already contains the article:

  • im = in dem

So:

  • in dem Zimmer → im Zimmer ✅
  • in diesem Zimmer ✅
  • im diesem Zimmer ❌ (this is like saying “in the this room”)

You either use:

  • im Zimmer (in the room)
    or
  • in diesem Zimmer (in this room)

but not both forms together.

What is the gender of Zimmer, and how can I tell?

Zimmer is neuter: das Zimmer.

There is no fully reliable rule to guess gender, but some patterns help:

  • Many -er nouns are masculine (der Computer, der Lehrer),
    but some are neuter, especially:
    • das Zimmer (room)
    • das Wasser (water)
    • das Fenster (window)

You mainly have to learn the word together with its article:

  • das Zimmer – des Zimmers – dem Zimmer – das Zimmer

In our sentence: in diesem Zimmer → neuter dative, so diesem.

What exactly does ruhig mean here? How is it different from leise, still, or friedlich?

In this sentence, ruhig means quiet / calm / not noisy.

Rough distinctions:

  • ruhig

    • general “quiet, calm”
    • can refer to places, situations, people
    • In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig. – It’s quiet here.

  • leise

    • “soft, quiet” in terms of volume
    • used for sounds and speaking
    • Sprich bitte leise. – Please speak quietly.

  • still

    • “silent, very quiet, no sound”
    • can be more absolute
    • Plötzlich wurde es still. – Suddenly it became silent.

  • friedlich

    • “peaceful” (often in a social or emotional sense)
    • ein friedliches Dorf – a peaceful village
    • not just about noise level; more about absence of conflict

In In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig, the focus is usually on low noise level / calm atmosphere.

Could I say Hier ist es ruhig instead of In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig?

Yes, you can, but it’s less specific.

  • In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig.

    • Refers specifically to this room (contrast with other rooms, hallway, outside, etc.).

  • Hier ist es ruhig.

    • Means It is quiet here, wherever “here” is (could be a room, a garden, a street corner, etc.).
    • The context shows that “here” probably means the room you’re in, but the word itself is broader.

So Hier ist es ruhig is more general; In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig names the place explicitly.

Why is the verb ist in second position, even though the sentence starts with In diesem Zimmer?

German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (here: ist) must be in second position – but “position” means logical slot, not “second word”.

In In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig we have:

  1. Position 1: In diesem Zimmer (the whole prepositional phrase counts as one element)
  2. Position 2: ist (the verb – required by the V2 rule)
  3. Rest: es ruhig

So even though ist is the third word, it is still in the second grammatical position. That’s correct and required in a main clause.

If you start with Es, the verb still stays second:

  • Es ist ruhig in diesem Zimmer.
    (Position 1: Es, Position 2: ist)
Can I say In diesem Zimmer ist Ruhe instead of In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig?

You can, but the nuance changes.

  • In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig.

    • Describes the state of the room: it is quiet/calm.
    • Very natural in everyday speech.

  • In diesem Zimmer ist Ruhe.

    • Uses the noun Ruhe (“quiet, silence, rest”).
    • Feels more stated, rule-like, or slightly formal / strict.
    • Common in contexts like:
      • In diesem Zimmer ist Ruhe! – “There is to be quiet in this room!” / “This room is a quiet zone!”

So:

  • For normal description: In diesem Zimmer ist es ruhig.
  • For something like a rule / announcement: In diesem Zimmer ist Ruhe.
How do I pronounce diesem and ruhig correctly?

Approximate pronunciations:

  • diesem → [ˈdiː.zəm]

    • die- like dee
    • -sem like zəm (“zuhm”)
    • Stress on the first syllable: DEE-zəm

  • ruhig → common variants: [ˈʁuː.ɪç] or [ˈʁuː.ɡ] (or something between, depending on region)

    • ruh- like roo
    • final -ig is often pronounced like -ich (ish sound) in standard German: ROO-ich
    • Many speakers also say something closer to ROO-ig or ROO-ik, especially in everyday speech.

For learners, [ˈʁuː.ɪç] (“ROO-ich”) is a good standard target.