A1 · Articles
When preposition and article merge
im, am, zum, zur, ins, beim
Ten fused forms that are not shortcuts but the normal way to say it.
German merges a preposition with a following definite article into one word: in dem becomes im, zu der becomes zur, an das becomes ans. There are about ten of these in everyday use, and they are not casual abbreviations — the unmerged form is what sounds unusual.
The fusion carries the case with it, so it also tells you something. Im Kino is dative and means inside; ins Kino is accusative and means going there. The two merged forms differ by one letter and by the whole question of movement.
Only the definite article merges. In einem Haus stays as it is, because ein never fuses.
Die Form
| in dem → im | im Haus |
| in das → ins | ins Haus |
| an dem → am | am Fenster |
| an das → ans | ans Fenster |
| zu dem → zum, zu der → zur | zum Arzt, zur Schule |
| bei dem → beim, von dem → vom | beim Bäcker, vom Bahnhof |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
Merging happens only with the definite article.
im Garten, aber: in einem Gartenin the garden, but: in a garden
The merged form keeps the case, so it keeps the meaning.
Ich bin im Büro. Ich gehe ins Büro.I am at the office. I am going to the office.
im, am, zum, zur, vom, beim and ins, ans, aufs, durchs are the everyday set.
Wir fahren zum See.We are driving to the lake.
Keeping the article separate stresses it.
Nicht in dem Haus, in diesem hier.Not in that house, in this one.
Genauer hingesehen
Which ones exist, and which do not
The everyday set is short enough to learn as a list: im, ins, am, ans, aufs, beim, vom, zum, zur, durchs, fürs, ums. Some further ones exist and are regional or informal — unterm, überm, hinterm, aufm — and belong to speech rather than to writing.
There is no merged form for the feminine accusative (in die) or for any plural (in den Häusern), so those stay separate. This asymmetry is worth noticing: seeing in die written out does not mean anything is being emphasised, because there is no alternative.
Ausnahmen und Sonderfälle (2)
-
the article is stressed or points at something
the unmerged form is used.
Er sitzt in dem Zimmer, nicht in diesem.He is in that room, not in this one.
A merged form cannot carry stress, so separating them is how German emphasises "that one".
-
a fixed expression has settled on one form
only that form is used.
am besten, im Allgemeinenbest of all, in general
Set phrases keep whichever version they were coined with.
Woran man es erkennt
- im
- am
- ins
- ans
- zum
- zur
- vom
- beim
- aufs
- durchs
Beispielsätze
Wir treffen uns am Bahnhof.We are meeting at the station.
Sie geht zur Arbeit.She is going to work.
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.The book is on the table.
Ich komme vom Markt.I am coming from the market.
Er war beim Zahnarzt.He was at the dentist.
Noch 6 Beispielsätze
Wir sitzen im Garten.We are sitting in the garden.
Geh ans Telefon.Go and answer the phone.
Sie fährt zur Schule.She goes to school.
Das hängt vom Wetter ab.That depends on the weather.
Beim Essen wird nicht gesprochen.No talking at the table.
Er geht durchs Zimmer.He walks across the room.
Besonderheiten (2)
-
zur and zum name places you go regularly
German prefers <z>zum Arzt</z>, <z>zur Schule</z>, <z>zur Arbeit</z> where English says "to the doctor" but plain "to school", "to work". The article stays in German, merged into the preposition, and leaving it out is a mistake rather than a shortcut.
-
am for dates and superlatives
Beyond place, <z>am</z> does two more jobs: <z>am Montag</z>, <z>am dritten Mai</z> for days and dates, and <z>am schnellsten</z> for the superlative of an adverb. Both are fixed and neither has an unmerged alternative.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
One letter, and the sentence says the wrong thing: im is dative and states where you already are, so "I go inside the cinema" describes walking around in it. Ins is accusative and names the destination. This pair is the most common way the two-way prepositions go wrong, because the merged forms hide the case that would otherwise be visible.
im is where you are, ins is where you are going.
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