Ich laufe zwischen meinen besten Freunden (case)

[BoodaGazelle]

I understand that 'zwischen' is a preposition that can be used with either Dative or Accusative.
I was taught that for such prepositions, if it is a static situation, then Dative is used, but if change
is implied, then Accusative.

In this sentence (from Busuu) however, it seems like it is using Dative when I would expect Accusative.

Example
Ich laufe zwischen meinen besten Freunden.
I'm walking between my best friends.

Am I interpreting this incorrectly?

 

[Hutschi]

Hi, BoodaGazelle,
I think it is correct.

Ich laufe zwischen meinen besten Freunden.
I'm walking between my best friends.
in the sense: I'm walking together with my best friends/In the middle of my best friends together with them.

...
It does not mean static vs. dynamic situation but:

direction (into) - Accusative
vs.
general movement without specific direction/destination (where, together with whom.) (dative)



I wrote this because
I'm walking between my best friends.
seems to be clear but I might misunderstand it.

If it means:
I'm walking into the middle of my best friends.
it indicates the Destination/direction, so it is accussative. Ich laufe zwischen meine besten Freunde. It is very seldom and has very special context.)

 

[BoodaGazelle]

Danke... I had not thought of it that way but I can see now how it could be considered ambiguous. Is the emphasis on
walking, or the placement (between)?

Thanks also for the clarification on the DAT vs ACC...

I understand the English meaning to be "I am walking (with) between my friends"... IOW all walking together, I just happen
to be in-between them.

But as written, it *is* Dative, richtig?

 

[Hutschi]

In this case Dative in German is clearly correct. It is not a movement with a direction (whereto) but the kind of movement (with my friends.)

Is the emphasis on
walking, or the placement (between)?

it is: "between together with them" causing dative.

 

[Schlabberlatz]

It does not mean static vs. dynamic situation but:

direction (into) - Accusative
vs.
general movement without specific direction/destination (where, together with whom.) (dative)

Wechselpräpositionen:

Die meisten Präpositionen verlangen immer denselben Fall. Es gibt jedoch Präpositionen, die den Kasus wechseln können. Manchmal stehen sie mit Dativ und manchmal mit Akkusativ. Deshalb heißen diese Präpositionen Wechselpräpositionen. Es gibt neun Wechselpräpositionen: in, an, unter, über, auf, vor, hinter, neben und zwischen.
Wechselpräpositionen (3) | Grammatik | Der Umzug | DW Deutsch Lernen

LEOs deutsche Grammatik: 1.8.3.4 Präpositionen mit zwei Kasus (Dativ und Akkusativ)
Er klopfte an das Fenster... (dative vs. accusative)
in diesem Buch lesen / in dein Adressbuch schreiben. (Kasus)