Learn Hardcore German: Neben dem Stall liegt das Heu.

dative → when it describes a location (where something is)
accusative → when it describes a movement/direction (to where something is moving)

In this sentence we have a location: the hay is lying at a fixed place.

neben + dative → neben dem Stall (next to the stable, location)
neben + accusative → neben den Stall (to next to the stable, direction)

So here it must be dem Stall (dative), because the hay is simply lying there; it is not being moved there.

Could I also say Das Heu liegt neben dem Stall? Is there a difference?

Yes, that is perfectly correct:

Neben dem Stall liegt das Heu.
Das Heu liegt neben dem Stall.

Both mean the same thing. The difference is emphasis and word order:

Das Heu liegt neben dem Stall.
– Neutral order: subject (Das Heu) first, then verb (liegt), then the rest.
– Normal everyday version.
Neben dem Stall liegt das Heu.
– The place (Neben dem Stall) is moved to the front for emphasis.
– This highlights the location: It’s next to the stable that the hay is lying.

German allows this kind of reordering, but the finite verb must stay in second position in main clauses (here: liegt).

Why is the verb liegt in second position after Neben dem Stall?

German main clauses follow the verb‑second rule (V2):

The conjugated verb must be in second position.
The first position can be occupied by one element: subject, time expression, place, etc.

In this sentence:

First position: Neben dem Stall (a prepositional phrase of place)
Second position: liegt (the finite verb)
Third position: das Heu (the subject)

So the order is:
[Neben dem Stall] [liegt] [das Heu].
This is why the subject das Heu comes after the verb here.

Why do we use liegt instead of ist?

German often prefers a specific position verb rather than the general verb sein (ist).

liegen = to lie, to be lying (horizontal position, or just resting somewhere)
stehen = to stand, to be standing (vertical/upright)
sitzen = to sit, to be sitting
sein = to be (very general)

Das Heu liegt neben dem Stall.
→ The hay is lying / lies next to the stable.
Using liegt makes the sentence sound more natural and specific than Das Heu ist neben dem Stall, which is grammatically possible but less idiomatic.

What is the subject of this sentence?

The subject is das Heu.

Even though it appears at the end of the sentence, it is still the subject, because:

It is in the nominative case.
It agrees with the verb liegt (3rd person singular: es liegt → das Heu liegt).

Structure:

Neben dem Stall – prepositional phrase (place)
liegt – verb
das Heu – subject (nominative)

What case is das Heu in, and what gender is it?

Das Heu is:

Case: nominative (it is the subject)
Gender: neuter (indicated by the article das)
Number: singular

So das Heu = the hay (as a mass noun) in the nominative case.

What case and gender does Stall have here?

In dem Stall:

Stall is a masculine noun.
dem is the dative singular form of the masculine article der.
The preposition neben (here expressing location) requires the dative case.

So:

Nominative: der Stall (the stable)
Dative: dem Stall → used after neben in this sentence.

When would neben take the accusative instead of the dative?

Neben takes:

Dative for location: where something/someone is
Accusative for direction/motion: where something/someone is going to

Examples:

Dative (wo? – where?)
Das Heu liegt neben dem Stall.
The hay is lying next to the stable. (fixed location)
Accusative (wohin? – to where?)
Sie bringen das Heu neben den Stall.
They are bringing the hay to a place next to the stable. (movement towards)

In your sentence, there is no motion, so it is dative: neben dem Stall.

Could I say beim Stall or am Stall instead of neben dem Stall?

You can, but the meaning shifts slightly:

neben dem Stall
→ specifically next to / beside the stable (clear lateral position)
beim Stall (bei dem Stall)
→ near / by / at the stable, in the general area, not necessarily right next to it
am Stall (an dem Stall)
→ at / by the stable, often implying direct contact or immediate proximity (e.g. leaning against it, right at the wall/door)

So if you want to be precise that it is beside the stable, neben dem Stall is the best choice.

How do I pronounce neben, dem Stall, and Heu?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA + description):

neben – /ˈneːbən/
– nee‑ben
– Long e like in English say, but without the diphthong.
dem – /deːm/
– daym (again with a long German e).
Stall – /ʃtal/
– Starts with sch‑ sound: shtal (short a as in cup but tenser).
Heu – /hɔʏ/
– One syllable; like English hoy in ahoy, but with a rounded öy sound.

Whole sentence roughly: NAY‑ben daym shtal loyt dahs hoy (very approximate).

Why do we need the article das with Heu? In English we just say hay without the.

German and English handle mass nouns differently.

In English, mass nouns often have no article in neutral statements:
Hay is next to the stable.
In German, in a specific situation, you usually use a definite article:
Das Heu liegt neben dem Stall.
→ the particular hay we are talking about is next to the stable.

You can omit the article in more generic statements, e.g.:

Heu ist teuer. – Hay is expensive. (general statement)

But here we are talking about a specific heap of hay, so das Heu is natural.

How would the sentence change if there were several stables?

If there are multiple stables, the noun becomes plural: die Ställe.

Now use dative plural after neben:

Nominative plural: die Ställe
Dative plural: den Ställen (often with an extra ‑n on the noun)

So the sentence becomes:

Neben den Ställen liegt das Heu.
→ Next to the stables lies the hay.

Here, den Ställen is dative plural.

Is there a difference between liegt and steht in location sentences like this?

Yes, German distinguishes between different postures/positions:

liegen – to lie (on its side / horizontally)
→ Das Heu liegt neben dem Stall. (loose material on the ground)
stehen – to stand (upright/vertical)
→ Der Traktor steht neben dem Stall.
The tractor is standing next to the stable.

For hay, which usually forms a heap lying on the ground, liegen is the natural verb. Using steht with Heu would sound odd unless you imagine bales of hay standing upright in some special way.