wohnen in
/ˈvoːnən ʔɪn/word by word
The English phrase 'to live in' is translated into German as wohnen in.
wohnen in refers to residing at a specific address or in a building.
Which one should you use?
While wohnen in refers to residing at a specific address or in a building, leben in refers to the broader experience of living in a city, country or general environment. Residieren in is a more formal expression that carries a sense of elegance or sophistication.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using wohnen in with a feminine noun (like 'Stadt' – city), the preposition 'in' triggers the dative case, changing 'die' to der. The preposition 'in' often contracts with the dative article 'dem' to form im when referring to masculine or neuter locations (e.g., im Haus – in the house).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvoːnən ʔɪn/
Did you know?
- The verb wohnen shares an ancient root with the idea of 'wishing' or 'loving'. It originates from the Proto-Indo-European word wenh₁-, suggesting that a place of residence is once seen as a place one 'wishes' to be.
- The word Wohnzimmer (living room) uses the root of wohnen to designate the room where the household resides together, rather than the room where they simply 'exist' or 'live'.
- The term residieren implies a high social status and is often associated with the historical residences of nobility or royalty.
Examples in context
- Ich lebe in Deutschland.I live in Germany.
- Er lebt in einer großen Stadt.He lives in a big city.
- Der König residiert in seinem Schloss.The king resides in his castle.
- Ich wohne in Bayern.I live in Bavaria.
- Er wohnt in der Nähe.He lives nearby.
- Meine Schwester lebt in Berlin.My sister lives in Berlin.
- Wir leben im selben Viertel.We live in the same neighborhood.
- Ich bin wohnhaft in München.I am living in Munich.
- Meine Eltern leben in einem kleinen Dorf.My parents live in a small village.
- Wohnst du in der Stadt oder auf dem Land?Do you live in the city or in the countryside?
- Wir sind wohnhaft in der Nähe des Flughafens.We are living near the airport.
- Ich wohne in Berlin.I live in Berlin.
- Wir wohnen in einem kleinen Haus.We live in a small house.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (wohnen, in) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries in, wohnen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
