Understanding ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’: Mastering German verbs

Navigating the difference between legen and liegen can be a difficult task for German learners. These verbs often lead to confusion, as they not only look similar but also share related meanings. In this guide, we’ll demystify legen and liegen with help from practical examples that speak to their distinct meanings and the contexts in which they’re used in German sentences.

• What is the difference between ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’?
• Other German verbs like ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’
• Prepositions and cases 
• Common mistakes when using ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’
• Tips to remember the difference between ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’

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What is the difference between ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’?

Understanding the distinction between legen and liegen is a fundamental step in mastering German. To better understand the role these verbs play in everyday communication, let’s look at some examples:

Example 1: 

• Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (I put the book on the table.)
• Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book lies on the table.)

Example 2:

• Kannst du die Blumen in die Vase legen? (Can you put the flowers in the vase?)
• Die Blumen stehen in der Vase. (The flowers are in the vase.)

As the above examples illustrate, legen requires an object to be moved. As such, this verb often appears in commands. 

Liegen, on the other hand, does not indicate that one person or object is moving another. It’s better suited for describing the current state of a thing, in the sense of where it lies or where it’s located.

Here are some other examples to clarify that point.

Example 3:

• Kannst du die Zeitung auf den Tisch legen? (Can you put the newspaper on the table?)
• Die Zeitung liegt schon dort. (The newspaper is already lying there.)

Example 4:

• Bitte lege deine Schuhe in den Schrank. (Please put your shoes in the closet.)
• Seine Schuhe liegen bereits im Schrank. (His shoes are already in the closet.)

Other German verbs like ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’

Several other German verb pairs function similarly to legen and liegen. These include stellen vs. stehen and sitzen vs. setzen, both of which are also differentiated by the presence of a subject performing an action on a direct object.

‘Stellen’ vs. ‘stehen’

• “Er stellt das Glas auf den Tisch.” (He puts the glass on the table.)
• “Das Glas steht am Rand.” (The glass is standing at the edge.)

‘Sitzen’ vs. ‘setzen’

• “Sie setzt sich auf den Stuhl.” (She sits down on the chair.)
• “Er sitzt bereits auf dem Sofa.” (He is already sitting on the sofa.)

Prepositions and cases

Legen often combines with the accusative case, indicating that there is a direct object being moved. Liegen, typically uses the dative case with prepositions to describe location.

Example 1:

• Sie legt das Buch in die Schublade. (She puts the book into the drawer.) → accusative
• Das Buch liegt auf dem Regal. (The book lies on the shelf.) → dative

Example 2:

• Er legt den Mantel auf das Bett. (He lays the coat on the bed.) → accusative
• Der Mantel liegt auf dem Bett. (The coat lies on the bed.) → dative

Common mistakes when using ‘legen’ vs. ‘liegen’ 

German learners often use legen and liegen incorrectly, particularly when describing actions involving people. This challenge stems from the need to differentiate between sich hinlegen (to lay oneself down) and liegen (to be lying down). 

To overcome this hurdle, it’s crucial to internalize the distinct roles these verbs play in the language. We turn to two final examples to illustrate this point.

Example 1:

• Mistake: Ich lege im Bett. (I lay in bed.)
• Correct: Ich liege im Bett. (I lie in bed.)

Example 2:

• Mistake: Er hat sich auf das Bett gelegt und liest ein Buch. (He has laid down on the bed and is reading a book.)
• Correct: Er liegt auf dem Bett und liest ein Buch. (He is lying on the bed and reading a book.)

Tips to remember the difference between ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’

• Picture legen as an active process of moving or placing something, and liegen as a passive state of being. For example, visualize someone actively placing a pillow on a couch (legen) versus a pillow resting on the couch (liegen).
• Use sich hinlegen reflexively when describing the act of oneself lying down. Remember that the reflexive pronoun sich is a key indicator for using legen.
• If a sentence involves placing or laying a direct object, use legen. When there’s no direct object and the focus is on the state or position, use liegen.
• Create simple mnemonics to associate legen with “laying” (action) and liegen with “lying” (state). For example, “Legen lays it down; Liegen lets it lie.”
• Regularly practice sentences that incorporate both verbs in different contexts. 

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Mastering the difference between ‘legen’ and ‘liegen’

Mastering legen and liegen is key to speaking German more accurately. Legen involves an action, like placing a book on a shelf, whereas liegen describes a state, as in a book already lying there. This distinction between action and state is fundamental in German. By understanding these verbs and similar pairs like stellen and stehen, you enhance your ability to describe a wide range of everyday scenarios.

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