Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.

I stick the picture to the wall.

Breakdown of Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.

• ich: I
• an: on
• die Wand: the wall
• das Bild: the picture
• kleben: to stick

Questions & Answers about Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.

Why is it an die Wand and not auf die Wand?

Both an and auf can translate as on in English, but they describe different kinds of contact:

• an = on / against a vertical surface
  
  • an die Wand → onto the wall, against the wall
• auf = on top of a horizontal surface
  
  • auf den Tisch → onto the table, on the table’s surface

A picture is normally attached to the vertical surface of a wall, so German uses an die Wand, not auf die Wand.

Auf die Wand kleben would sound odd and is usually only used in special contexts, like gluing something flat onto a wall as if it were a horizontal surface (e.g. when talking about paint or wallpaper in a very physical, surface‑oriented way), but even then an die Wand is far more common.

Why is it an die Wand and not an der Wand?

This is about two-way prepositions and case.

An is a two-way preposition (like in, auf, unter, über, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen). These prepositions:

• take the accusative if there is movement to a destination (answering where to? / wohin?)
• take the dative if they describe a location with no movement (answering where? / wo?)

In your sentence:

• You are moving the picture to the wall → there is a change of location.
• So you answer wohin? (where to?) → an + accusative.

die Wand is feminine:

• nominative: die Wand
• accusative: die Wand
• dative: der Wand

So:

• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand. → movement to the wall (accusative)
• Das Bild hängt an der Wand. → location at the wall (dative)

That’s why it’s an die Wand here, not an der Wand.

What case is das Bild in, and why?

Das Bild is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb kleben.

• Subject (nominative): Ich (I) – the one doing the action
• Verb: klebe (stick/glue)
• Direct object (accusative): das Bild (the picture) – the thing being glued
• Prepositional phrase: an die Wand – tells you where it is being glued

So das Bild answers “What am I gluing?” → direct object → accusative.

For neuter nouns like das Bild, nominative and accusative look the same (das), which can make it less visible, but grammatically it is accusative here.

What case is die Wand in, and why is the article die instead of der?

Die Wand here is also in the accusative case, governed by the preposition an with a sense of movement to a place.

For a feminine noun like Wand, the definite article is:

• nominative: die Wand
• accusative: die Wand
• dative: der Wand
• genitive: der Wand

Because the sentence describes movement to the wall (change of location), an takes the accusative:

• an + die (accusative) → an die Wand

If it were just describing location (no movement), you would use the dative:

• an + der (dative) → an der Wand
  
  • e.g. Das Bild hängt an der Wand. = The picture is hanging on the wall.

So the form die here is accusative feminine, not nominative.

What is the infinitive of klebe, and how is this verb conjugated?

The infinitive is kleben (to stick, to glue).

It is a regular (weak) verb, so its present tense conjugation is straightforward:

• ich klebe – I glue / I am gluing
• du klebst – you glue (singular, informal)
• er / sie / es klebt – he / she / it glues
• wir kleben – we glue
• ihr klebt – you glue (plural, informal)
• sie kleben – they glue / you (formal) glue

In your sentence, ich klebe is 1st person singular, present tense.

Is kleben transitive or intransitive in this sentence?

Here, kleben is used transitively because it takes a direct object:

• Ich (subject)
• klebe (verb)
• das Bild (direct object)

So you can ask: “What do I glue?” → das Bild.

Kleben can also be used intransitively in other sentences:

• Das Bild klebt an der Wand. – The picture is sticking to the wall.
  (No direct object; das Bild is the subject.)

But in your sentence, it’s clearly transitive.

Could I say Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand fest? What difference does fest make?

Yes, you can say:

• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand fest.

Here, fest is an adverb meaning roughly firmly, securely.

• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.
  → neutral: I glue/stick the picture on(to) the wall.
• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand fest.
  → adds the idea so that it is firmly attached, securely fixed.

There’s no change in basic grammar; you’re just specifying how you are gluing it.

Could I use hängen instead of kleben here? What’s the difference?

You can use hängen, but it changes what you are saying:

• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.
  → I glue/stick the picture to the wall (using glue, tape, adhesive).
• Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand.
  → I hang the picture on the wall (using a nail, hook, string, etc.).

So:

• kleben focuses on how it is attached (with something sticky).
• hängen focuses on the hanging action/position, usually with a nail, hook, or similar.

Both are grammatically correct, but they describe different methods of putting the picture on the wall.

Why do we say das Bild and not just Bild without an article?

In German, a singular countable noun almost always needs a determiner (an article or something similar):

• das Bild (the picture)
• ein Bild (a picture)
• mein Bild (my picture)
• dieses Bild (this picture)

Using bare singular nouns (without an article) is only possible in a few special patterns (e.g. some professions, materials, certain fixed expressions), but Bild does not fit those typical exceptions here.

So Ich klebe Bild an die Wand is ungrammatical. You need das, ein, or another determiner:

• Ich klebe ein Bild an die Wand. – I glue a picture to the wall.
• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand. – I glue the picture to the wall.

Can the word order change, for example Ich klebe an die Wand das Bild?

German word order is more flexible than English, but not everything sounds natural.

1. Standard, neutral order:

   • Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.

   Subject – verb – direct object – prepositional phrase. This is the normal, most natural version.

2. Fronting the prepositional phrase for emphasis or context:

   • An die Wand klebe ich das Bild.

   This is correct and can be used to emphasize an die Wand (e.g. contrasting with another place).

3. Ich klebe an die Wand das Bild.

   This is grammatically possible, but sounds unnatural and awkward in everyday speech. Native speakers almost never say it like that. The direct object (das Bild) usually comes earlier.

So: yes, you can move elements for emphasis, but for normal usage stick with:

• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.
• or occasionally: An die Wand klebe ich das Bild.

Is Wand always feminine, and what is its plural form?

Yes, Wand is always feminine in standard German:

• singular: die Wand – the wall

The plural is:

• plural: die Wände – the walls
  (with an umlaut: a → ä)

Examples:

• Die Wand ist weiß. – The wall is white.
• Die Wände sind weiß. – The walls are white.

What is the difference between Bild and Foto in this context?

Both can refer to pictures, but they are not identical:

• das Bild

  • very general: image, picture, painting, drawing, photo, illustration, icon, etc.
  • can be a painting on canvas, a drawing, a poster, a printed photo, etc.

• das Foto

  • specifically: a photograph

So:

• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.
  → could be a painting, a poster, a printed photo, anything picture-like.
• Ich klebe das Foto an die Wand.
  → clearly a photo.

If you want to be precise that it’s a photograph, Foto is better. If you only care that it’s some kind of picture, Bild is more general.

Could I omit Ich and just say Klebe das Bild an die Wand?

Yes, but it changes the meaning and mood:

• Ich klebe das Bild an die Wand.
  → statement (indicative): I am gluing the picture to the wall.

• Klebe das Bild an die Wand.
  → imperative, giving a command or instruction:
  Glue the picture to the wall. (addressing du)

So dropping Ich is not just leaving out the subject; it turns the sentence into an imperative form addressing someone else.

How would this sentence look in the past tense?

Two common ways:

1. Simple past (Präteritum):

   • Ich klebte das Bild an die Wand.

   This is grammatically correct but sounds a bit literary or formal in many regions for this kind of everyday action.

2. Present perfect (Perfekt):

   • Ich habe das Bild an die Wand geklebt.

   This is what people normally use in spoken German for a completed action in the past.

So in everyday speech, you’d typically say:

• Ich habe das Bild an die Wand geklebt. – I glued/stuck the picture to the wall.