staan

To Stand/Be Standing

Level 2

In Dutch, you often use position verbs instead of 'to be' (zijn) to say where an object is. 'Staan' (to stand) is used for objects that are vertical, have a base or legs, vehicles, and information on a page or screen.

How It Works

Dutch speakers are very specific about how an object is positioned. While English often uses 'is' for everything, Dutch requires you to visualize the object's orientation.

When to use 'staan':

  • Objects on a Base or Legs: Objects like a tafel (table), stoel (chair), televisie (television), or computer 'stand' because they rest on a functional base.
  • Upright Objects: Objects that are taller than they are wide (like a bottle or a vase) usually 'stand'.
  • Plants and Trees: Anything rooted in the ground, like a boom (tree) or bloem (flower), always 'stands'.
  • Vehicles: Cars, bikes, and buses 'stand' when parked (e.g., De auto staat in de straat).
  • Text and Information: Words in a book, a mistake in a text, or an article in a newspaper usually 'stand' (e.g., Het staat in de krant).
  • Depictions in Media: Anything shown in a photo, painting, or on a screen 'stands' there (e.g., Er staat een hond op de foto).
  • Buildings: Houses and shops 'stand' in their location.
  • Appointments: Items in a schedule or calendar 'stand' at a specific time (e.g., De afspraak staat om drie uur).

Morphology:
staan is an irregular verb.
Present: ik sta, jij staat, wij staan.
Note: Following the jij inversion rule, the -t is dropped when jij or je follows the verb: Waar sta jij?
Past: stond / stonden.
Perfect: heeft gestaan.

Continuous Action:
You can use the staan te + infinitive construction to say someone is currently doing something while standing (e.g., Hij staat te wachten - He is standing there waiting).

Examples (6)

  1. De glazen staan al op de tafel.

    The glasses are already on the table.

    Word by Word: The glasses stand already on the table.

    Glasses have a base they rest on, so they 'stand' on the table.

  2. Mijn fiets staat bij het station.

    My bike is at the station.

    Word by Word: My bike stands by the station.

    Vehicles like bicycles 'stand' when they are parked.

  3. Er staat een fout in dit artikel.

    There is a mistake in this article.

    Word by Word: There stands a mistake in this article.

    Information, text, or errors 'stand' on the page or screen.

  4. De laptop staat op het bureau.

    The laptop is on the desk.

    Word by Word: The laptop stands on the desk.

    Even though a laptop isn't 'tall', it rests on its functional base, so it 'stands'.

  5. De boom staat in de tuin.

    The tree is in the garden.

    Word by Word: The tree stands in the garden.

    Rooted plants, trees, and flowers always 'stand' in Dutch.

  6. Waar sta jij op de foto?

    Where are you in the photo?

    Word by Word: Where stand you on the photo?

    This shows the inversion rule: the -t is dropped from 'staat' because 'jij' follows the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'zijn' (to be) where a position verb sounds more natural.

    Different MeaningDe fles is op de tafel.
    De fles staat op de tafel.

    'Is' is not wrong, but Dutch speakers usually say how an object stands, lies or hangs. For an upright object like a bottle, 'staan' is the natural verb.

  • Using 'staan' for a book that lies flat.

    Different MeaningHet boek staat op de grond.
    Het boek ligt op de grond.

    'Het boek staat op de grond' is correct if the book stands upright. If the book lies flat on the floor, use 'liggen' (to lie).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

staanLevel 2To Stand/Be Standing

Learn This First

To use the position verb 'staan', a learner needs to understand how to conjugate verbs in the present tense and how to use common prepositions of place like 'op' (on) or 'in' (in) to specify the location of the upright object.

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