German - Basic Location

Lesson 16 of 158

German learners practicing basic location phrases like under, behind, and in front of in a simple scene.

Goal: Say where things and people are

Free German lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready to spot things in German? We'll keep it short and useful — no yak-fu needed, just simple phrases you can use right away.

Level A1: In this lesson you'll practice common German location phrases (under, behind, in front of, between, at, inside/outside). We'll listen to examples, repeat aloud, and do quick exercises to make these phrases comfortable. This lesson is practical and CEFR-aligned for beginners.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and say basic location phrases in German (A1).
  • Use phrases to state where someone or something is (under, behind, in front of, between, at).
  • Ask and answer whether someone or something is inside or outside.
A beginner-friendly illustration showing objects under, behind, and in front of a table for practicing German location language.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

___ ist unter ___.

___ is under ___.

Meaning: ___ is under ___.

When to use: Use this frame to say that one thing is below another object (e.g., under a table). For a fixed position use dative: unter dem Tisch.

Tip: Beginners sometimes use accusative (movement) instead of dative when nothing moves.

Die Katze ist unter dem Tisch.
The cat is under the table.
Das Buch liegt unter der Zeitung.
The book is under the newspaper.

___ ist hinter ___.

___ is behind ___.

Meaning: ___ is behind ___.

When to use: Say this when something or someone is at the back of something else. For a stationary position use dative: hinter dem Haus.

Der Garten ist hinter dem Haus.
The garden is behind the house.
Das Auto steht hinter dem Gebäude.
The car is behind the building.

___ ist vor ___.

___ is in front of ___.

Meaning: ___ is in front of ___.

When to use: Use this to say someone or something is located before or in front of another object. Note: 'vor' can also mean 'before' in time, but here it's spatial.

Das Fahrrad ist vor dem Haus.
The bicycle is in front of the house.
Anna steht vor dem Laden.
Anna is standing in front of the shop.

___ ist zwischen ___ und ___.

___ is between ___ and ___.

Meaning: ___ is between ___ and ___.

When to use: Use this to place something or someone in the middle of two items. For a fixed position use dative: zwischen dem Café und der Bank.

Der Park ist zwischen dem Museum und der Schule.
The park is between the museum and the school.
Die Tasche liegt zwischen dem Stuhl und dem Tisch.
The bag is between the chair and the table.

___ ist bei ___.

___ is at ___.

Meaning: ___ is at ___.

When to use: Use 'bei' for being at someone's place or at a company/establishment (bei jemandem, bei Aldi). After 'bei' use the dative.

Tip: Learners sometimes use 'in' or 'an' instead of 'bei' when talking about being at a person's place or at a company.

Er ist bei der Arbeit.
He is at work.
Ich bin bei Anna.
I'm at Anna's (place).

Ist ___ drinnen oder draußen?

Is ___ inside or outside?

Meaning: Is ___ inside or outside?

When to use: Use this question to ask whether someone or something is indoors (drinnen) or outdoors (draußen).

Tip: Learners sometimes mix 'drinnen/draußen' with the more formal 'innen/außen'; both are possible, but 'drinnen/draußen' is very natural in speech.

Ist das Kind drinnen oder draußen?
Is the child inside or outside?
Ist das Auto drinnen oder draußen geparkt?
Is the car parked inside or outside?

___ ist drinnen.

___ is inside.

Meaning: ___ is inside.

When to use: Say this when someone or something is located inside a building or room.

Der Hund ist drinnen.
The dog is inside.
Die Pflanzen sind drinnen im Wohnzimmer.
The plants are inside in the living room.

___ ist draußen.

___ is outside.

Meaning: ___ is outside.

When to use: Use this to say someone or something is outdoors or outside of a room/building.

Die Kinder spielen draußen.
The children are playing outside.
Mein Fahrrad ist draußen am Zaun.
My bike is outside at the fence.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Asking where a cat, dog, keys, and a bag are.

Two people asking where a cat and a dog are, useful for hearing German location phrases in context.

Where is the cat?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Wo ist die Katze?

Where is the cat?

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Sie ist unter dem Tisch.

She is under the table.

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Und wo ist der Hund?

And where is the dog?

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Ist der Hund drinnen oder draußen?

Is the dog inside or outside?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Er ist draußen.

He is outside.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Die Schlüssel sind zwischen dem Buch und dem Handy.

The keys are between the book and the phone.

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Ist die Tasche bei dir?

Is the bag at your place?

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Nein, sie ist vor dem Laden.

No, it's in front of the shop.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which sentence means "The cat is under the table."?

Which sentence asks "Is the dog inside or outside?"

How do you say "The keys are between the book and the phone."?

What does "Er ist bei der Arbeit." mean?

Ist der Hund drinnen oder draußen? = Is the dog inside or outside?

How do you ask "Is the dog inside or outside?" in German? ___

Der Rucksack ist zwischen dem Stuhl und dem Tisch.

Translate: "The backpack is between the chair and the table." ___

Die Bushaltestelle ist vor der Schule.

Translate: "The bus stop is in front of the school." ___

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist unter ___.

___ is under ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist hinter ___.

___ is behind ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist vor ___.

___ is in front of ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist zwischen ___ und ___.

___ is between ___ and ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist bei ___.

___ is at ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ist ___ drinnen oder draußen?

Is ___ inside or outside?

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist drinnen.

___ is inside.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist draußen.

___ is outside.