In this post, we’ll discuss a few pairs of German verbs with very similar meanings and forms. In these pairs, one variant is used for expressing directional movement while the other expresses a static location:
| Static Location | Directional Movement |
|---|---|
liegen meaning to lie in place | legen meaning to lay down |
sitzen meaning to sit | setzen meaning to sit down |
stehen meaning to stand in place | stellen meaning to set, put |
hängen meaning to hang | hängen meaning to hang |
For example, compare these two sentences:
Let’s have a look at these four pairs of verbs, how you can tell them apart, and how you should use them in German!
What is the general difference between verbs in these pairs?
The verb pairs that we are discussing in this article have one main thing in common: One word of the pair describes static location and the other one describes directional movement. However, it’s also worth noting some other similarities among the static location verbs and among the directional movement verbs, so we’ll cover these patterns below.
Location vs. direction
The main difference between static location and directional movement verbs is:
Static location verbs are used when there is no movement, we are simply describing something’s position.
Sabine sitzt Sabine mit ihrem heißen Kaffee am offenen Fenster.Translation: Sabine is sitting with her hot coffee by the open window.She isn’t moving, this just describes how she’s positioned at her location.Verbs like these go with a location you’d ask about using the word wo meaning where.
Speaker A:Wo sitzt Sabine mit ihrem heißen Kaffee?Translation: Where is Sabine sitting with her hot coffee?Speaker B:Am offenen Fenster.Translation: By the open window.The following are used to describe static locations: liegen meaning to lie in place, sitzen meaning to sit, stehen meaning to stand in place, and hängen meaning to hang.
Directional movement verbs are used when there is movement from one place to another — someone or something is moving into a position.
Sabine stellt ihre Kaffeetasse auf die Fensterbank.Translation: Sabine is setting her cup of coffee on the window sill.The coffee is moving; it was not on the window sill, but soon it will be.Verbs like these go with a location you’d ask about using the word wohin meaning where to.
Speaker A:Wohin stellt Sabine ihre Kaffeetasse?Translation: Where (to) is Sabine putting her cup of coffee?Speaker B:Auf die Fensterbank.Translation: On(to) the window sill.The following are used to describe directional movement: legen meaning to lay down, setzen meaning to sit down, stellen meaning to set, put, and hängen meaning to hang.
Transitive vs. intransitive
You might also see another distinction between these verbs. Some of them are intransitive (used without an object) while others are transitive (used with an object).
The intransitive verbs are liegen meaning to lie in place, sitzen meaning to sit, stehen meaning to stand in place, and hängen meaning to be hanging, the same ones used for static locations.
intransitive verbDer schwarze Hund liegt (im Schatten).Translation: The black dog is lying (in the shade).Der weiße Hund sitzt (auf dem Teppich).Translation: The white dog is sitting (on the rug).Der braune Hund steht.Translation: The brown dog is standing.Die Leine des Hundes hing.Translation: The leash of the dog was hanging.The transitive verbs are legen meaning to lay down, setzen meaning to sit down, stellen meaning to set, put, and hängen meaning to hang, the same ones used for directional movement.
transitive verbdirect objectDer schwarze Hund legt seinen Knochen auf sein Bett.Translation: The black dog is laying his bone on his bed.Der weiße Hund setzt seinen Teddybär auf die Wiese.Translation: The white dog is putting his teddy bear on the lawn.Der braune Hund stellt seinen Spielzeugwürfel auf den Boden.Translation: The brown dog is putting his toy cube on the ground.Der Hund hängt seine Leine an den Zaun.Translation: The dog is hanging his leash on the fence.Yes, dogs are capable of a lot of things! 😉
Conjugation differences
These two groups of verbs, the static location ones and the directional movement ones, also follow two different conjugation patterns.
The static location verbs are strong verbs (or “irregular verbs”)…
sitzen → saß → gesessenTranslation: to sit → sat (past tense) → sat (past participle)This is a strong verb pattern.…and they form compound tenses, like the perfect tense, using sein meaning to be.
Das Kind war auf dem neuen Sofa gesessen.Translation: The child sat on the new couch.The directional movement verbs are weak verbs (or “regular verbs”)...
setzen — setzte — gesetztTranslation: to set — set (past tense) → set (past participle)This is a weak verb pattern.…and they form compound tenses using haben meaning to have.
Ich habe das Kind auf das neue Sofa gesetzt.Translation: I sat the child down on the new couch.
Now, let’s look at the individual verb pairs!
‘Liegen’ vs. ‘legen’
In German, liegen meaning to lie is for a static location, while legen meaning to lay describes directional movement.
Liegen meaning to lie → something or someone is lying in a specific spot.
static locationdative caseIm Urlaub liege ich am liebsten auf meinem Badetuch und lese ein Buch.Translation: On vacation I prefer lying on my beach towel reading a book.Legen meaning to lay → someone is moving something or someone into a lying position.
directional movement verbaccusative caseBevor ich ins Wasser gehe, lege ich mein Buch auf mein Badetuch.Translation: Before I go into the water I lay my book on my beach towel.
‘Sitzen’ vs. ‘(sich) setzen’
In German, sitzen meaning to sit is used to describe something’s static location, while setzen meaning to sit down is used to describe directional movement.
Setzen meaning to sit → something or someone continues sitting in a specific spot.
static location verbdative caseNach dem Bad im Meer sitze ich in meinem Liegestuhl und entspanne mich.Translation: After the swim in the ocean I sit in my beach chair and relax.I’m not saying I’m moving into the chair, just that I exist in the seat.Setzen meaning to sit down → someone or something moves into a seated position. If you’re sitting yourself down, you’ll use it with the reflexive pronoun sich, but if you’re sitting someone else down, that is not necessary.
directional movementaccusative casereflexive pronounMein Baby setze ich in den klappbaren Hochstuhl.Translation: I am sitting my baby in the foldable highchair.Um einen Snack zu essen, setze ich mich an den kleinen Tisch.Translation: To eat a snack I sit down at the small table.
‘Stehen’ vs. ‘stellen’
In German, stehen meaning to stand, to be situated is for a static location, while stellan meaning to stand, to put is for directional movement.
Stehen meaning to stand, to be situated → something or someone is standing in a specific spot.
static location verbdative caseMeine Kühlbox mit den Getränken steht unter dem Sonnenschirm.Translation: My cooler with the drinks stands under the umbrella.Stellen meaning to put → someone puts someone or something into a standing position.
directional movement verbaccusative caseIch stelle meine Flasche neben die Kühlbox in den Sand.Translation: I put my bottle next to the cooler into the sand.You can also use stellen as a reflexive verb, sich stellen meaning to get yourself into a position, as in:
directional movement verbreflexive pronounIch stelle mich neben dich.Translation: I’m positioning myself next to you.
‘Hängen’ vs. ‘hängen’
While hängen and hängen look exactly the same at first sight, they are actually two different verbs, which have two different conjugation patterns.
Hängen meaning to hang, as a strong verb (hängen / hing / gehangen) → something or someone is hanging in place.
static location verbdative caseMein Handtuch hängt bereits auf der Heizung meines Hotelzimmer.Translation: My towel is already hanging on the heater of my hotel room.Hängen meaning to hang, as a weak verb → someone is hanging someone or something up, moving it into a hanging position.
directional movement verbaccusative caseIch hänge meinen nassen Badeanzug in das Badezimmer meines Hotelzimmer.Translation: I am hanging my wet bathing suit in the bathroom of my hotel room.
Summary
Here’s a quick summary of what we covered here:
| Static Location | Directional Movement |
|---|---|
someone or something remains in a position | someone or something moves into a position |
liegen meaning to lie in placesitzen meaning to sitstehen meaning to stand in placehängen meaning to hang | legen meaning to lay downsetzen meaning to sit downstellen meaning to set, puthängen meaning to hang |
conjugated as strong verbs | conjugated as weak verbs |
perfect tense with sein meaning to be | perfect tense with haben meaning to have |
intransitive (no object) | transitive (take an object) |
So what do you think? Are you ready to head on over to our activities and practice? I think you are! Let’s do this!
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