lê/staan/hang
Position Verbs: Lê, Staan, Hang
Where is it? Afrikaans often answers with lê, staan, sit or hang: Die boek lê op die tafel. (The book is on the table.)
How It Works
1. Lê: lying flat. Books, papers, phones, keys on a table, and also towns and places on a map:
- Die boek lê op die tafel. (The book is on the table.)
- Kaapstad lê aan die voet van Tafelberg. (Cape Town lies at the foot of Table Mountain.)
2. Staan: standing upright. Bottles, cups, furniture, buildings and parked cars:
- Die melk staan in die yskas. (The milk is in the fridge.)
- Waar staan jou kar? (Where is your car parked?)
Words on a page also staan: Dit staan in die koerant. (It says so in the newspaper.)
3. Sit: fitted in. Something stuck or fitted into something else: Die sleutel sit in die deur. (The key is in the door.)
4. Hang: hanging. Usually with aan: Die prent hang aan die muur. (The picture is on the wall.)
5. With daar. Position verbs also replace is after daar: Daar lê 'n brief op die tafel. (There is a letter on the table.) Daar staan 'n kar voor die huis. (There is a car in front of the house.)
6. In the past. These are normal verbs, so the past uses het + ge-: Die boek het op die tafel gelê. (The book was on the table.)
Tip: with an object, sit means put: Sit die melk in die yskas. (Put the milk in the fridge.) And a position verb + en + another verb describes an ongoing action, as in Sy sit en lees; see sit en lees.
Examples (6)
- Die boek lê op die tafel.
The book is on the table.
Word by Word: The book lies on the table.
- Die melk staan in die yskas.
The milk is in the fridge.
Word by Word: The milk stands in the fridge.
A carton or bottle stands upright, so Afrikaans uses staan.
- Die prent hang aan die muur.
The picture is on the wall.
Word by Word: The picture hangs on the wall.
- Die sleutel sit in die deur.
The key is in the door.
Word by Word: The key sits in the door.
Sit is used for something fitted into something else.
- Waar staan jou kar?
Where is your car parked?
Word by Word: Where stands your car?
- Kaapstad lê aan die voet van Tafelberg.
Cape Town lies at the foot of Table Mountain.
Word by Word: Cape Town lies at the foot of Table Mountain.
Towns and places use lê.
Common Mistakes
Using lê for something that hangs.
Die prent lê aan die muur.Die prent hang aan die muur.A picture on a wall hangs, so the verb is hang. Lê is for things lying flat, such as a book on a table.
Making the past with was, as in English.
Die boek was gelê op die tafel.Die boek het op die tafel gelê.Lê, staan, sit and hang form the past with het + ge-, and the ge- form goes to the end. Was + ge- would look like a passive.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Position verbs describe where things are, often with op or aan.
Related Patterns
- onder/agter/langs/tussenWhere Things Are: Onder, Agter, Langs, Tussen
Prepositions of place that often follow a position verb.
Level 2 - aanOn and at: Aan
Hang usually goes with aan: Die prent hang aan die muur.
Level 2 - daar isThere Is and There Are
Position verbs can replace is after daar: Daar lê 'n brief op die tafel.
Level 1 - is/weesTo Be: Is and Wees
Is is always possible, but a position verb is more natural.
Level 1 - sit/staan/lê en + VerbSit En Lees: Ongoing Actions
The same verbs with en describe ongoing actions: Sy sit en lees.
Level 3 - het + ge-The Past Tense: Het + Ge-
Position verbs form the past with het + ge-: Die boek het op die tafel gelê.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice lê/staan/hang in Bubblegum
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