In German, prepositions can be a bit tricky for beginners, especially when two of them seem to mean similar things.
Today, we're looking at an
and in
, two words that often confuse learners because they both can translate to "in" or "at" in English.
But don't worry, we're here to clear things up in a simple way.
The preposition an
is often used to describe a position that is close to or alongside something,
much like the English "on" or "at" when used for surfaces or borders. It's also used to indicate something that is by or next to a vertical surface.
For instance:
an
der Wand. (The picture hangs on the wall.)an
der Haltestelle. (We are standing at the bus stop.)You can think of an
as being used when something touches or leans against a surface or edge.
On the other hand, in
is used more like "in" or "into" in English and is used for locations within enclosed spaces or areas.
It implies being inside or entering something:
in
der Schule. (I am at school.)in
den Park. (We are going into the park.)So, in
is your go-to when talking about being inside or surrounded by something.
While both an
and in
can describe locations, the key difference lies in their specific uses:
an
when referring to positions next to or along surfaces, especially vertical ones.in
for being within enclosed or defined spaces.To make it even clearer, here are a few more examples:
an
einem großen See. (She lives by a large lake.)in
einem Meeting. (He is in a meeting.)A good way to remember the difference is to visualize an
as being at the edge or surface of something,
while in
is more about being surrounded by something.
Understanding the distinction between an
and in
will help you become more precise in your German.
It's all about the context and the physical relationship of the objects you're talking about.
With a bit of practice, you'll start to feel more confident about when to use each one.
Download our free pdf for German learners, with 99 German words & idioms. Each idiom comes with an example, a translation & helpful vocabulary.
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