Formhängen + Akkusativ (wohin?) / hängen + Dativ (wo?)
Meaning and usage
hängen has two meanings. When you hang something somewhere, it is a weak verb: hängte, gehängt. The place phrase answers wohin? and takes the accusative. When something is hanging somewhere, it is a strong verb: hing, gehangen. The place phrase answers wo? and takes the dative. In the present tense both look the same, so the case of the article shows which meaning you want.
Learners often use the dative with the weak verb or the accusative with the strong verb, for example Ich hängte das Bild an der Wand or Das Bild hing an die Wand. Both are ungrammatical. Check the question word: wohin? needs the accusative and the weak forms, wo? needs the dative and the strong forms.
Examples 5
Das Bild hängt an der Wand.
The picture is hanging on the wall.
Er hängt das Bild an die Wand.
He's hanging the picture on the wall.
Ich habe den Kalender an die Wand gehängt.
I've hung the calendar on the wall.
Sie hängten ihre Mäntel hinter die Tür.
They hung their coats behind the door.
Kein einziges Bild hing an der Wand.
There wasn't a single picture on the wall.
Test yourself
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1 Sprachbausteine
Gestern ich die Lampe über den Tisch.
Show answer
Correct answer: hängte
The phrase über den Tisch answers wohin? and takes the accusative, so the verb means to hang something and uses the weak past form hängte.
- gehängt is a past participle and needs an auxiliary verb such as habe.
- hang is not a German verb form.
- hing is the strong past form for being hanging, which needs a dative phrase like über dem Tisch.
In this topic: Two-way prepositions
- in die Küche / in der Küche destination takes accusative, location takes dative
- auf dem Tisch, auf den Tisch auf + dative for where, auf + accusative for where to
- an der Wand, an die Wand an + dative for where, an + accusative for where to
- über dem Tisch, unter das Bett über and unter for place: over, across, under
- vor dem Haus, hinter dem Haus vor and hinter for in front of and behind
- neben dem Stuhl, zwischen den Bäumen neben and zwischen for place, next to and between
- ans Meer, auf den Markt, in die Stadt choosing in, an or auf for places
- legen / liegen legen lays something down, liegen means to be lying
- stellen / stehen stellen for putting upright, stehen for standing
- sich setzen / sitzen to sit down vs to be sitting
- hängen: hängte / hing hang something vs be hanging
- in einer Woche, in zwei Stunden in + dative for a future point in time
Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.