German · A1 · Everyday language
Your Project Space in German
Help your child find a comfortable place for creative projects. Learn how to say what is available and where things are in German.
What you'll learn
- Describe a workspace and its supplies.
- Use es gibt to say there is or there are.
- Use simple location phrases to help your child find things.
- Recognize singular and plural forms in descriptions.
German phrases for your project space
Es gibt Platz für dein Projekt.
There is space for your project.
Es gibt means both there is and there are. Dein is the informal your, suitable when speaking to your child.
Auf deinem Schreibtisch steht eine Lampe.
There is a lamp on your desk.
German often uses steht for an object that stands somewhere, such as a lamp.
In der Schublade liegen Bleistifte.
There are pencils in the drawer.
Liegen describes where objects lie. Bleistifte is plural.
Im Regal liegt Papier.
There is paper on the shelf.
Im Regal is the usual German expression for on a shelf within a shelving unit.
Hier stehen zwei Stühle.
There are two chairs here.
Hier means here. Use stehen with plural objects that stand somewhere.
In der Box ist Kleber.
There is glue in the box.
Kleber means glue. Like English glue, it needs no article here.
Neben deiner Tasche liegen Bücher.
There are books by your bag.
Neben means next to or by. Bücher is the plural of Buch.
Auf dem Tisch liegt eine Schere.
There are scissors on the table.
German uses the singular eine Schere for one pair of scissors.
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 Platz
space; room
In this context, Platz means available space, not a room in a house.
der Schreibtisch
desk
A desk for writing, studying or working.
die Schublade
drawer
In der Schublade means in the drawer.
der Bleistift
pencil
Plural: die Bleistifte.
das Regal
shelf; shelving unit
Im Regal means on the shelf or in the shelving unit.
der Stuhl
chair
Plural: die Stühle.
der Kleber
glue
For a glue stick, use der Klebestift.
die Schere
scissors; a pair of scissors
This German noun is singular when referring to one pair.
Es gibt: there is / there are
Use es gibt to say that something exists or is available. The verb stays gibt for both singular and plural nouns. The noun after es gibt takes the accusative case.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Es gibt + singular noun | Es gibt eine Lampe. — There is a lamp. |
| Plural | Es gibt + plural noun | Es gibt zwei Stühle. — There are two chairs. |
| Masculine article change | ein → einen after es gibt | Es gibt einen Tisch. — There is a table. |
Saying where things are
For objects in a specific place, German often uses stehen (stand), liegen (lie), or simply sein (be). When the location comes first, the verb comes next, followed by the subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Objects that stand | steht: singular; stehen: plural | Hier stehen zwei Stühle. — There are two chairs here. |
| Objects that lie | liegt: singular; liegen: plural | Auf dem Tisch liegt eine Schere. — There are scissors on the table. |
| General location | ist: singular; sind: plural | In der Box ist Kleber. — There is glue in the box. |
Location phrases
When in, auf and neben describe where something is, use the dative case. Learn these short phrases as useful chunks.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| On the table | auf dem Tisch | Auf dem Tisch liegt Papier. — There is paper on the table. |
| In the drawer | in der Schublade | In der Schublade liegt eine Schere. — There are scissors in the drawer. |
| On the shelf | in dem Regal → im Regal | Im Regal stehen Bücher. — There are books on the shelf. |
More examples
Hier gibt es Platz für dein Projekt.
There is space for your project here.
When hier comes first, gibt comes next: Hier gibt es ...
Neben deiner Tasche steht eine Box.
There is a box by your bag.
Use steht because the box is standing in that spot.
Auf deinem Schreibtisch liegen Bleistifte.
There are pencils on your desk.
Use the plural verb liegen with Bleistifte.