Word
Manden lægger dugen på spisebordet.
Meaning
The man lays the tablecloth on the dining table.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Manden lægger dugen på spisebordet.
manden
the man
på
on / at / in (a language) / of (after nouns like end or start)
lægge
to lay / to do (a jigsaw puzzle)
dugen
the tablecloth
Questions & Answers about Manden lægger dugen på spisebordet.
Why does this sentence use lægger instead of ligger?
Lægger is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object—someone must be actively placing something. Here, manden (the man) is actively placing dugen (the tablecloth). If you just wanted to say the tablecloth is already resting on the table, you would use the intransitive verb ligger: Dugen ligger på spisebordet.
Could I use stiller or sætter to say he "puts" the tablecloth on the table?
No, because Danish placement verbs depend on how the object is being positioned. Lægger is used for placing things flat or horizontally, which fits a tablecloth perfectly. You would use stiller for placing things upright (like a vase or a bottle), and sætter for things placed firmly on a base.
Is lægger the only verb used when "setting a table"?
Not at all! You have to switch verbs depending on what you are placing. While you use lægger for the tablecloth (dugen) and the cutlery (bestikket) because they lie flat, you would switch to stiller for the glasses (stiller glassene) because they stand upright.
Why does spisebordet end in -et when dugen ends in -en?