Bleib auf deinem Zimmer!

Sentence Discussions German
#1
Polish Translation

Zostań w swoim pokoju.

Why ist the right anser with “auf” and not with “in”?

#2

That does seem like a weird way to say it. Perhaps this is how they say it in parts of Germany? :thinking:

I’d just report the sentence

#3

It’s not wrong.

See, that’s why it’s so interesting when learners ask questions that make you as a native speaker think about things that you never thought about.

I wouldn’t be able to explain it. But a quick google search brought up this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/German/comments/z51obo/why_is_auf_used_for_das_zimmer_in_this_sentence/

Here’s a summary:

  • The etymology is that “Zimmer” literally refers to the woodwork of the floor (see also “Zimmermann” and the verb “zimmern”), so it’s especially used for upstairs rooms.
  • It’s notably used for hotel rooms, and for children that parents send to their rooms (which sounds like is the case with this clozemaster sentence)
  • It’s getting out of fashion, to the point that I, as an old fart, find it very normal, but one of my co-workers say they know it, but wouldn’t use it, and the other says it sounds weird, but “Ich lasse es auf mein Zimmer bringen” (i.e. hotel context) sounds ok.

The other word that “auf” is often used with is “Stube”, so “auf der Stube” is also a common expression.

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#4

So is ‘auf’ then mostly used when moving something or someone into a room @pitti42?

#5

Personally, I have no problem saying “Wenn mich jemand sucht, ich bin auf meinem Zimmer”, so it’s not only when moving.

I don’t know what advice to give to a learner when this seems to be in a state of flux.
Maybe this: For hotel rooms use “auf”, as this has become a specialized jargon that is not going out of fashion so quickly. The safe bet for everything else (except “Stube”, but this is also becoming old fashioned in itself) seems to be to use “in”.

To me, “auf” has a more abstract feeling and “in” a more concrete feeling. With “auf” it doesn’t matter whether it’s literally “in”, it’s about the place itself and that I’m staying or will be staying at.

So that’s probably also why you need to use “in” when you use “in … treten” (step into):
Als ich in auf sein Zimmer trat war Markus dabei, seine Hausaufgaben zu machen.

Stepping into a room is quite literally about going inside.

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