Beim

Beim is a German preposition contraction formed from bei dem. It is used before masculine or neuter singular nouns in the dative case to indicate location, proximity, or a temporal context relative to a point in time or place. Common examples include beim Bäcker (at the baker’s) and beim Arzt (at the doctor’s).

In German, the preposition bei governs the dative case. Therefore, be when used with masculine or neuter nouns, the article dem becomes dem, and bei dem contracts to beim. Feminine nouns in the dative take bei der and do not contract to a form like beim. For instance, bei der Freundin (with the friend, feminine) is standard, not beim Freundin. This distinction is a regular part of using bei in spoken and written German.

Beim can also precede nominalized verbs and gerunds in the sense of “while” or “during.” Examples include beim Essen (during the meal), beim Lesen (while reading), and beim Schlafen (while sleeping). These phrases treat the gerund as a noun and use the dative case accordingly.

Usage notes: beil is not used in the accusative or other cases; it remains a dative construction. It is common in everyday speech and in formal writing alike. The corresponding phrases without contraction are bei dem and, for feminine nouns, bei der. Similar contractions exist for other prepositions ending in dem, such as am (an dem) and im (in dem).

See also: German grammar of the dative case, prepositional contractions, comparison with am and im.