legen

Definition & meaning

legen is a German verb meaning “to lay,” “to put,” or “to place.” It usually describes placing something somewhere, especially in a horizontal position.

Main meanings:

1. To lay or put something somewhere

   • Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. — “I put the book on the table.”
   • Sie legt das Baby ins Bett. — “She lays the baby in bed.”

2. To lay eggs

   • Das Huhn legt ein Ei. — “The hen lays an egg.”

3. To put on or apply something

   • Er legt seine Jacke an. — “He puts on his jacket.”
   • Sie legt Make-up auf. — “She applies makeup.”

4. To establish, set, or determine something

   • Die Regeln legen die Bedingungen fest. — “The rules establish the conditions.”
   • Wir legen einen Termin fest. — “We set a date.”

5. Reflexive: to subside or calm down

   • Der Wind legt sich. — “The wind dies down.”
   • Die Aufregung hat sich gelegt. — “The excitement has subsided.”

The verb legen generally implies movement from one place to another. It contrasts with liegen [?](vocabuo://word/liegen), which describes a stationary position.

Grammar & Word origin

legen is a regular, weak, transitive verb. It normally takes an accusative object.

• Infinitive: legen [?](vocabuo://word/legen)
• Present tense: ich lege, du legst, er/sie/es legt
• Simple past: legte
• Past participle: gelegt
• Perfect tense: hat gelegt

Examples:

• Ich lege das Handy auf den Tisch. — “I put the phone on the table.”
• Er hat den Schlüssel dort hingelegt. — “He put the key there.”

With a change of position, a two-way preposition usually takes the accusative:

• Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. — “I put the book onto the table.”
• Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. — “The book is lying on the table.”

legen is historically related to the idea of placing something in a position or location. It is connected with liegen [?](vocabuo://word/liegen) and Lage [?](vocabuo://word/Lage), meaning “position,” “situation,” or “location.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

• platzieren [?](vocabuo://word/platzieren) — “to place”; more formal and often used for deliberately positioning an object.
• hinstellen [?](vocabuo://word hinstellen) — “to put down”; usually used for upright objects or objects placed in a particular spot.
• hinlegen [?](vocabuo://word/hinlegen) — “to lay down” or “to put down”; emphasizes movement away from the speaker or toward a destination.
• ablegen [?](vocabuo://word/ablegen) — “to put down,” “take off,” or “deposit”; often used for clothing, luggage, or objects.
• setzen [?](vocabuo://word/setzen) — “to put” or “to seat”; generally used when placing something upright or putting a person in a seated position, rather than laying it flat.

Antonyms

• nehmen [?](vocabuo://word/nehmen) — “to take”; describes removing or taking hold of something instead of placing it.
• aufheben [?](vocabuo://word/aufheben) — “to pick up” or “lift”; describes raising something from a surface.
• wegnehmen [?](vocabuo://word/wegnehmen) — “to take away”; emphasizes removal from a place.
• entfernen [?](vocabuo://word/entfernen) — “to remove”; a more general and sometimes more formal antonym.

Common phrases & collocations

• Wert auf etwas legen [?](vocabuo://word/Wert%20auf%20etwas%20legen) — to attach importance to something
  Sie legt großen Wert auf Pünktlichkeit. — “She attaches great importance to punctuality.”

• Hand anlegen [?](vocabuo://word/Hand%20anlegen) — to help with physical work or get involved
  Alle müssen Hand anlegen. — “Everyone has to pitch in.”

• etwas zugrunde legen [?](vocabuo://word/etwas%20zugrunde%20legen) — to use something as a basis
  Wir legen diese Zahlen zugrunde. — “We use these figures as a basis.”

• etwas festlegen [?](vocabuo://word/etwas%20festlegen) — to determine, specify, or establish something
  Der Vertrag legt die Bedingungen fest. — “The contract specifies the conditions.”

• etwas vorlegen [?](vocabuo://word/etwas%20vorlegen) — to present or submit something
  Bitte legen Sie Ihren Ausweis vor. — “Please present your identification.”

• sich ins Zeug legen [?](vocabuo://word/sich%20ins%20Zeug%20legen) — to make a strong effort
  Er legt sich für das Projekt ins Zeug. — “He is working very hard for the project.”