Before you start
Meet liegen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 6 meanings
- (intransitive) to lie (to be in a horizontal position)
- (Switzerland) to lie down
- (intransitive) to be, to lie somewhere (of flat objects, also of inpatients in a hospital; otherwise use sitzen or stehen)
- (intransitive) to be located, to lie somewhere (of countries, towns, houses, etc.)
- (intransitive) to be, to stand (of indices, measurements)
- (intransitive) because of, due to, down to (within the responsibility or influence of; literally, to lie on someone or something) [with an (+ dative)]
Forms
How liegen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | liege | lag |
| du | liegst | lagst |
| er/sie/es | liegt | lag |
| wir | liegen | lagen |
| ihr | liegt | lagt |
| Sie | liegen | lagen |
Partizip II gelegen · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.The book is on the table.present, main clause
- 2Ich habe lange im Bett gelegen.I lay in bed for a long time.Perfekt with haben
- 3Weil der Schlüssel im Auto liegt, gehe ich zurück.Because the key is in the car, I’m going back.verb at the end after weil
Verb family
Separable verbs built on liegen
Add a prefix to liegen and the meaning changes.