| Two-Way Prepositions: Dual Verbs | |
| Verbs pairs like legen/liegen and setzen/sitzen | |
Prep. Part 1 > Dual Verbs > Part 3
Here is a chart of common "dual" verb pairs that are frequently used with and correspond to the two-way prepositions. Study the example sentences for each pair and note the differences.
| Dual Verbs - Verb Pairs Accusative/Dative |
|
| Verb pairs that correspond to the two-way prepositions. | |
| Akkusativ Wohin? |
Dativ Wo? |
| legen put, lay | liegen lie, recline |
| Ich legte das Buch auf den Tisch. I put (laid) the book on the table. |
Das Buch lag auf dem Tisch. The book was lying on the table. |
| (sich) setzen sit down, put |
sitzen sit, stand |
| Setz dich auf den Stuhl! Sit down in/on the chair. |
Du sitzt auf dem Stuhl. You're sitting in/on the chair. |
| stellen place, put | stehen stand |
| Er stellt das Buch auf das Regal. He stands the book on the shelf. |
Das Buch steht auf dem Regal. The book is standing on the shelf. |
| The verb hängen (hang) has two different past tense forms: (1) a weak form used with the accusative and (2) a strong form used with the dative. | |
| hängte (weak, accus.) | hing (strong, dative) |
| Er hängte das Bild an die Wand. He hung the picture on the wall. |
Das Bild hing an der Wand. The picture was hanging on the wall. |
In the chart above you can see that certain verbs follow a pattern similar to that of two-way prepositions. Verbs can also reflect the difference between motion towards a place and being stationary or at rest. If you have never understood the difference between "lie" and "lay" in English, you're about to learn. The German verbs liegen and legen work exactly the same way as "lie" and "lay" in English!
German also makes a distinction for "put" or "place" that English does not, using one verb for placing an object in a vertical, standing position (stellen) and another for putting something in a horizontal, flat position (legen, lay). If you place a book vertically onto a shelf (aufs Regal), in German you have to use stellen. If you lay it down on the shelf rather than stand it upright, then you use legen. In English you can use "put" for both situations, but German requires you to be more specific. While it's possible to say "lay" (not "lie"!) or "stand" in English, German won't let you use the more vague "put" at all. (For another such German distinction—vertical vs. horizontal—see Part 3.)
Another way to remember the difference between "lie" and "lay": It's perfectly OK to lie on the beach, but in most places it's illegal to lay on the beach! Many English-speakers misuse lie/lay, but in German liegen (lie) must be used for being in a reclining position or to be located somewhere (inactive). The German verb legen (lay) on the other hand is always used as an active verb that indicates something being put or laid someplace, as in the examples above.
Now let's look at some examples of how the two-way prepositions are used.
Sample Phrases (A = accus., D = dative)
Notice the difference in the meaning of the accusative and dative uses of the same preposition. Even without a verb, it is clear to a German speaker whether location (dative) or motion (accus.) is implied in each phrase.
- wo? über der Stadt D - above the city
- wohin? über die Stadt A - over the city (crossing over it)
- wo? an der Grenze D - on/at the border
- wohin? an die Grenze A - to the border
- wo? im Kino D - at the cinema/movies (Wir sind im Kino.)
- wohin? ins Kino A - to the cinema/movies (Wir gehen ins Kino.)
- wo? am Rhein D - on the Rhine
- wohin? an den Rhein A - to the Rhine
- wo? auf dem Dach D - on the roof
- wohin? auf das Dach A - onto the roof
- wo? hinter der Tür D - (located) behind the door
- wohin? hinter die Tür A - (go, put) behind the door
Idiomatic Expressions (A = accus., D = dative)
In some idiomatic expressions you just have to know (memorize) whether the accusative or dative is used.
- über die Sache A - about the matter
- unter den Zuschauern D - among the spectators
- vor zwei Tagen D - two days ago
- ins Unreine schreiben A - write a rough draft
- im Bau D - under construction
- jemanden hinters Licht führen A - to deceive someone
- Rücksicht auf etwas nehmen A - to take something into consideration
- am Morgen D - in the morning
- münden in A - flow into (der Main mündet in den Rhein - the Main flows into the Rhine)
- Angst vor etwas haben D - to be afraid of something (Angst vorm Fliegen - fear of flying)
- zwischen den Zeilen (lesen) D - (read) between the lines
On the next page you'll learn about how different German prepositions are used in relation to a vertical or a horizontal surface.
NEXT > Horiz./Vert. - Part 1 > Part 2 > Part 3 > Quiz
VERBS > German Verb Guide
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