Are you describing where something is, or putting it somewhere? German separates these meanings. Compare a jacket lying on a sofa with someone laying it there.
The idea
Liegen, stehen and sitzen describe an existing position. Legen, stellen and setzen describe creating one. With spatial two-way prepositions, location answers wo? and takes dative; a destination answers wohin? and takes accusative.
| Infinitive | Simple past | Perfect |
|---|---|---|
| liegen | lag | hat gelegen |
| legen | legte | hat gelegt |
| stehen | stand | hat gestanden |
| stellen | stellte | hat gestellt |
| sitzen | saß | hat gesessen |
| setzen | setzte | hat gesetzt |
Need help choosing dem or den? Review location and destination with two-way prepositions. German two-way prepositions: location or destination?
First choose the position
A book can lie flat or stand upright. Use liegen/legen for the flat position and stehen/stellen for the upright one. For people, distinguish sitting from sitting down: ich sitze versus ich setze mich. These are the concrete spatial meanings; the verbs also have other uses.
The table gives the usual forms with haben. In southern German-speaking regions, sein is also standard with sitzen, stehen and liegen. Do not treat that regional auxiliary choice as the same issue as choosing gelegt versus gelegen.
Examples
- Ich lege die Jacke auf das Sofa.I lay the jacket on the sofa.
- Die Jacke liegt auf dem Sofa.The jacket is lying on the sofa.
- Mira stellt den Wasserkocher neben die Tasse.Mira puts the kettle next to the cup.
- Der Wasserkocher steht neben der Tasse.The kettle is next to the cup.
- Wir setzen uns ans Fenster.We sit down by the window.
- Jetzt sitzen wir am Fenster.Now we are sitting by the window.
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Watch out
Movement alone does not mean accusative: Ich tanze im Zimmer describes dancing within a room. Also distinguish the object from the place: Ich lege die Jacke auf das Sofa has an accusative object and an accusative destination.
Try it yourself
Die Jacke ist bereits auf dem Sofa. Sie ___ dort. (liegt / legt)
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liegt
Liegt describes the jacket’s existing position. Legt would describe someone placing an object.
Mira stellt den Wasserkocher neben ___ Tasse. (die / der)
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die
Die marks the destination after neben: Mira is placing the kettle next to the cup. The resulting position is neben der Tasse.
Wir möchten am Fenster sitzen. Wir setzen ___ ans Fenster.
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uns
Uns matches wir: wir setzen uns. The reflexive pronoun names the people who sit down.
Gestern habe ich die Jacke auf das Sofa ___. (legen)
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gelegt
Gelegt is the past participle of legen. The action is placing the jacket; gelegen belongs to liegen, the resulting position.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
Die Jacke ist bereits auf dem Sofa. Sie ___ dort. (liegt / legt)
Mira stellt den Wasserkocher neben ___ Tasse. (die / der)
Wir möchten am Fenster sitzen. Wir setzen ___ ans Fenster.
Gestern habe ich die Jacke auf das Sofa ___. (legen)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Put three objects in your room in new places. Say one sentence about each action and one about the resulting position. Then sit down somewhere and use Ich setze mich … followed by Ich sitze … .