Breakdown of Neben dem Stall liegt das Heu.
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
liegen
to lie
neben
next to
der Stall
the stable
Questions & Answers about Neben dem Stall liegt das Heu.
Why is it dem Stall and not den Stall?
Neben is a so‑called two‑way preposition (Wechselpräposition). It can take either:
- 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?