German · A2 · Family moment
Everything for Baby in German
Use gentle everyday German to put your baby's familiar things nearby. Practise in and auf for destinations, then compare them with locations where someone or something stays.
What you'll learn
- Talk about putting baby-care items in or on something.
- Use the accusative after in and auf when saying where someone or something is being placed.
- Use the dative after in and auf when describing a stationary location.
- Distinguish legen (lay something down) from liegen (be lying).
German phrases for everything for baby
Ich lege deinen Teddy in den Korb.
I'm putting your teddy into the basket.
Legen means to lay or put something down. In den Korb gives the destination, so the masculine article is accusative: den.
Ich stecke deine Flasche in die Tasche.
I'm putting your bottle into the bag.
Stecken is natural for putting something into a bag. The destination takes the accusative: in die Tasche.
Ich lege dich ins Bett.
I'm laying you down in the bed.
Ins is short for in das. The bed is the destination. Dich is the object form of du (you).
Ich stelle deinen Becher auf den Tisch.
I'm putting your cup onto the table.
Stellen means to place something upright. Auf den Tisch gives the destination and takes the accusative.
Ich lege dich auf die Decke.
I'm laying you down on the blanket.
The blanket is where you are placing the baby, so use accusative: auf die Decke.
Ich lege dein Badespielzeug auf das Handtuch.
I'm putting your bath toy onto the towel.
Handtuch is neuter. For this destination, use accusative: auf das Handtuch.
Dein Teddy ist im Korb.
Your teddy is in the basket.
This describes a location, not a destination. Use dative: in dem Korb, usually shortened to im Korb.
Du liegst auf der Decke.
You are lying on the blanket.
Liegen describes being in a lying position. The location takes the dative: auf der Decke.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
der Teddy
teddy bear
A familiar everyday word for a teddy bear.
der Korb
basket
Destination: in den Korb. Location: im Korb.
die Flasche
bottle
In a baby-care context, this can mean the baby's feeding bottle.
die Tasche
bag
Destination: in die Tasche. Location: in der Tasche.
das Bett
bed
Ins Bett means into bed; im Bett means in bed.
der Becher
cup
A natural word for a child's drinking cup.
der Tisch
table
Destination: auf den Tisch. Location: auf dem Tisch.
die Decke
blanket
Decke can also mean ceiling, but here it means blanket.
das Badespielzeug
bath toy; bath toys
A collective noun that can refer to one bath toy or bath toys generally.
das Handtuch
towel
Destination: auf das Handtuch. Location: auf dem Handtuch.
Destinations: in and auf with the accusative
In and auf are two-way prepositions. When they show where you are placing someone or something, use the accusative. Ask Wohin? (Where to?). In means into; auf means onto a surface.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der → den | in den Korb; auf den Tisch |
| Feminine | die → die | in die Tasche; auf die Decke |
| Neuter | das → das | in das Bett → ins Bett; auf das Handtuch |
Locations: in and auf with the dative
When describing where someone or something is, use the dative. Ask Wo? (Where?). The key difference is destination versus location, not simply whether a verb involves movement.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der → dem | in dem Korb → im Korb; auf dem Tisch |
| Feminine | die → der | in der Tasche; auf der Decke |
| Neuter | das → dem | in dem Bett → im Bett; auf dem Handtuch |
Useful verbs and object forms
German uses the present tense for actions happening now: ich lege can mean I'm laying. Choose legen for laying down, stellen for placing upright, and stecken for putting something into a space or container.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Laying someone down | legen: ich lege | Ich lege dich auf die Decke. |
| Being in a lying position | liegen: du liegst | Du liegst auf der Decke. |
| Your + direct object | deinen (masculine); deine (feminine); dein (neuter) | deinen Teddy; deine Flasche; dein Badespielzeug |
More examples
Ich lege deinen Teddy in den Korb.
I'm putting your teddy into the basket.
Destination: in + accusative.
Dein Teddy ist im Korb.
Your teddy is in the basket.
Resulting location: in + dative. Im means in dem.
Ich lege dich auf die Decke.
I'm laying you down on the blanket.
Destination: auf die Decke.
Du liegst auf der Decke.
You are lying on the blanket.
Resulting location: auf der Decke.