Formin + Dativ (zukünftiger Zeitpunkt)
Meaning and usage
With a length of time, in + dative points forward: it tells you when something will happen, measured from now. Ich bin in einer halben Stunde wieder da means I will be back when half an hour has passed. The dative is fixed here: in einer Woche, in zwei Stunden, in ein paar Tagen. This is a time use of in, so it does not follow the wohin/wo rule of the other two-way prepositions.
Do not confuse this with vor, which looks back: vor einer Woche means a week ago. A common mistake is using the accusative because the phrase feels like direction, for example in einer Woche said as in eine Woche, or mixing up in and vor when talking about the future. Note that nach einer Woche means after a week has passed, often looking back from a later point, which is a different meaning from in einer Woche.
Examples 6
Ich bin in einer halben Stunde wieder da.
I'll be back in 30 minutes.
Ich bin in ein paar Minuten bei dir.
I'll be with you in a few minutes.
Er kommt in ein paar Tagen nach Hause.
He will come home in a few days.
Ruft mich in zwei Tagen noch mal an.
Call me again in two days.
Könnt ihr in einer halben Stunde hier sein?
Can you be here in half an hour?
Ich werde dich heute in einer Woche sehen.
I'll see you a week from today.
Test yourself
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1 Sprachbausteine
Der Film beginnt zwanzig Minuten.
Show answer
Correct answer: in
The present tense with a future meaning and a length of time needs in + dative: the film starts twenty minutes from now.
- Um is used with clock times like um acht Uhr, not with a length of time.
- Vor would mean the film began twenty minutes ago, which does not fit beginnt.
- Seit marks a period that started in the past and still continues, not a future point.
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.