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Valency and cases
Unlike prepositional objects, place complements can vary the PREPOSITION used, e.g. Die Lampe steht auf dem Tisch/im Regal/unter dem Fenster/zu Hause. The prepositions that form part of place complements usually belong to the group of prepositions used with either the accusative or the dative case (e.g. an, auf, unter, see section 5.3).
Place complements need the DATIVE because they show position: Er wohnt seit Januar in diesem Haus. Paris liegt im Norden Frankreichs. Sie hielt sich in einem Dorf auf.
He has been living in this house since January. Paris is in the north of France. She was staying in a village.
Common verbs used with a place complement are: sich aufhalten sich befinden bleiben hängen leben liegen
stay be (situated) stay, remain hang live lie, be lying
parken sitzen stattfinden stehen übernachten wohnen
park sit take place stand spend the night live, dwell
NB Most of the above verbs (but not sich aufhalten, sich befinden, wohnen) can alternatively be used without any object or other complement (sentence pattern A), in some cases with a variation in meaning. Compare Er lebt in Ulm (‘He lives in Ulm’), and Er lebt (‘He’s alive’). NB bleiben can instead be used with a PREDICATE COMPLEMENT, see 8.10.
8.9 Direction complements Verbs of motion typically have a phrase with them which indicates where something is going or being put or taken. This is a DIRECTION COMPLEMENT (sentence patterns K and L). Direction complements look like adverbials, but whereas adverbials are optional, direction complements are closely linked to the meaning of the main verb. This affects their place in the sentence (see section 9.8). Unlike prepositional objects, direction complements can vary the PREPOSITION used, e.g. Sie geht auf den Turm/ins Konzert/nach Hause. The prepositions that form part of direction complements usually belong to the group of prepositions used with either the accusative or the dative case (e.g. an, auf, unter, see section 5.3).
Direction complements need the ACCUSATIVE because they convey directional movement. Most verbs expressing the idea of going somewhere have the direction complement as their only complement (sentence pattern K): Das Mädchen ist in den Bach gefallen. Sie kam in das Zimmer. Er fuhr gestern Abend nach dem Kartenspiel nach Hause.
The girl fell into the stream. She came into the room. He drove home last night after the card game.
