German Phrase
Die Bibliothek ist im zweiten Stock.
Meaning
The sentence states that the library is located on the second floor of a building. In German the floor count starts with the ground floor (Erdgeschoss), so the ‘zweiten Stock’ is the floor above the first floor.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving directions inside a building, answering a question about where a room or service is, or describing the layout of a public place such as a school, office or museum.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DieBibliothekistimzweitenStock.
Definite article (Die)
‘Die’ is the nominative feminine singular article, matching ‘Bibliothek’ which is a feminine noun.
Verb ‘sein’ (ist)
‘ist’ is the 3rd‑person singular present of ‘sein’ (to be) and is used for identity or location.
Preposition ‘in dem’ → ‘im’
‘im’ is the contraction of ‘in dem’, a dative preposition that indicates location inside something.
Ordinal adjective (zweiten)
‘zweiten’ is the dative masculine singular form of the ordinal ‘zweite’, required because ‘Stock’ is masculine and governed by the dative preposition ‘in dem’.
Noun ‘Stock’ (masc.)
‘Stock’ means ‘floor / story’ of a building and is masculine; in the dative it becomes ‘dem Stock’ → ‘im Stock’.
🗨In Conversation
Wo ist die Bibliothek?
Where is the library?
Die Bibliothek ist im zweiten Stock.
The library is on the second floor.
✕Common Mistakes
Die Bibliothek ist auf dem zweiten Stock.
‘auf’ is used for surfaces (e.g., on a table). For a floor inside a building you need the dative ‘in dem’ → ‘im’.
Der Bibliothek ist im zweiten Stock.
‘Bibliothek’ is feminine, so the correct article is ‘die’, not ‘der’.
Die Bibliothek ist im zweite Stock.
Because the preposition ‘im’ puts ‘Stock’ in the dative case, the ordinal adjective must also be dative: ‘zweiten’.
↔Alternatives
Die Bibliothek befindet sich im zweiten Stock.
The library is located on the second floor.
Im zweiten Stock finden Sie die Bibliothek.
In the second floor you will find the library.
Sie finden die Bibliothek im zweiten Stock.
You will find the library on the second floor.
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries the ground floor is called ‘Erdgeschoss’. The floor directly above it is ‘erster Stock’, so ‘zweiter Stock’ is actually the third level for English speakers. Remember to use the dative preposition ‘in dem’ (im) for locations inside a building, not ‘auf’ which is used for surfaces.