German for Beginners: Describe Rooms and Furniture with Prepositions and Adjectives
Learn to say what is in a room using German prepositions and adjectives, with examples like 'There is a small table by the window.'
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn how to describe interiors in German. You will use two essential building blocks: prepositions of place (such as in, on, under, next to) and adjectives (such as small, big, old, new). By combining these with the phrases 'es gibt' (there is/there are) and 'steht/liegt/hängt' (stands/lies/hangs), you can talk about furniture and where it is. For example, 'Es gibt einen kleinen Tisch am Fenster' means 'There is a small table by the window.' Pay attention to German word order and case, which change depending on the preposition.
By the end, you can…
- name common furniture and room features in German.
- use prepositions of place to say where something is.
- add adjectives to describe furniture and rooms.
- form sentences with 'es gibt' and position verbs.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Es gibt einen kleinen Tisch am Fenster.
There is a small table by the window.
es geebt EYE-nen KLY-nen tish am FEN-ster
Use 'es gibt' + accusative. 'einen kleinen Tisch' is masculine accusative because of the verb 'es gibt'.
Das Sofa steht neben dem Regal.
The sofa is next to the shelf.
das ZOH-fa shtayt NAY-ben dem ray-GAHL
'neben' is a two-way preposition; here it takes the dative because it shows position (wo?).
Die Lampe hängt über dem Bett.
The lamp hangs above the bed.
dee LAM-pe hengt EW-ber dem bet
'hängen' is used for things that hang. 'über' + dative for position.
Im Wohnzimmer gibt es ein großes Fenster.
In the living room there is a big window.
im VOHN-tsim-mer geebt es ine GROH-ses FEN-ster
'im' = in dem. 'ein großes Fenster' is neuter nominative (subject of 'es gibt').
Der Teppich liegt unter dem Tisch.
The carpet is (lies) under the table.
dair TEP-pish leekt UN-ter dem tish
'liegen' for things lying flat. 'unter' + dative for position.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
German uses two main patterns for describing interiors: 'Es gibt' + accusative (there is/are) and position verbs like 'stehen' (to stand), 'liegen' (to lie), 'hängen' (to hang), 'sitzen' (to sit) + dative preposition. For example: 'Es gibt einen Schrank im Schlafzimmer.' (There is a wardrobe in the bedroom.) 'Der Schrank steht im Schlafzimmer.' (The wardrobe is in the bedroom.) The adjective ending changes with gender and case: 'ein kleiner Tisch' (nominative), 'einen kleinen Tisch' (accusative), 'ein kleines Bett' (neuter).
When to use it
Use 'es gibt' when you introduce something new or mention it for the first time: 'Es gibt einen neuen Teppich im Flur.' Use position verbs when you already know the object and want to say where it is: 'Der Teppich liegt im Flur.' Prepositions like 'in', 'an', 'auf', 'über', 'unter', 'neben', 'zwischen' take the dative when they describe a fixed position (wo?). For example: 'Das Bild hängt an der Wand.' (The picture hangs on the wall.) 'Die Katze sitzt auf dem Sofa.' (The cat sits on the sofa.)
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Wie sieht dein Wohnzimmer aus?
What does your living room look like?vee zeet dine VOHN-tsim-mer ousEs ist klein, aber gemütlich. Es gibt ein Sofa und einen Tisch.
It is small but cozy. There is a sofa and a table.es ist kline, AH-ber ge-MEWT-lish. es geebt ine ZOH-fa oont EYE-nen tishWo steht der Tisch?
Where is the table?voh shtayt dair tishDer Tisch steht am Fenster. Daneben hängt ein Bild.
The table is by the window. Next to it hangs a picture.dair tish shtayt am FEN-ster. da-NAY-ben hengt ine biltA little context goes a long way
In German homes, rooms are often described with attention to function and size. 'Gemütlich' (cozy) is a common positive adjective. When talking about your home, it's polite to use 'bei mir' (at my place) rather than 'in meinem Haus' unless it's a house. In Austria and Switzerland, some furniture words differ: 'das Sofa' is standard, but 'das Kanapee' is used in Austria for a sofa. 'Der Schrank' is standard, but 'der Kasten' is common in Austria and Bavaria.
One thing to watch for
Using nominative after 'es gibt': 'Es gibt ein kleiner Tisch.'
Try this instead: 'Es gibt' always takes the accusative. So 'ein kleiner Tisch' becomes 'einen kleinen Tisch': 'Es gibt einen kleinen Tisch.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'There is a big bed in the bedroom' in German?
Show a sample answer
Es gibt ein großes Bett im Schlafzimmer.
'Es gibt' + accusative. 'ein großes Bett' is neuter accusative, so the adjective ending is '-es'. 'im Schlafzimmer' = in the bedroom.
2Translate: 'The lamp hangs above the table.'
Show a sample answer
Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch.
'hängen' for hanging, 'über' + dative because it's a position. 'dem Tisch' is masculine dative.
3What is the difference between 'Es gibt einen Stuhl' and 'Der Stuhl steht'?
Show a sample answer
'Es gibt einen Stuhl' introduces a chair (there is a chair). 'Der Stuhl steht' describes the position of a known chair (the chair stands/is).
Use 'es gibt' for new information, position verbs for known objects. Both are correct in context.
Use 'es gibt' + accusative to introduce furniture, and position verbs + dative prepositions to say where it is. Add adjectives with correct endings to describe size, color, or quality.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s German into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr