Having things "stand" or "lie"
In English, you might say "We have old furniture in storage." In Dutch, speakers frequently add a posture verb like staan (to stand) or liggen (to lie) to describe exactly how those belongings are stored.
To build these sentences, use the conjugated verb hebben (to have), followed by the object and its location, and place the bare infinitive posture verb at the very end of the clause.
Use staan for objects that are upright, have legs or wheels, or are neatly stacked (like boxes, cabinets, or bicycles).
| We have old furniture standing in storage. | Wij hebben oude meubels in de opslag staan. |
| You guys have a large shelving unit standing in the garage. | Jullie hebben een grote stellingkast in de garage staan. |
Use liggen for objects resting flat, disorganized items, or small things kept inside folders or drawers.
| As a result, they have everything lying well-organized in folders. | Zodoende hebben ze alles overzichtelijk in mappen liggen. |
Specifying exact locations
When organizing a storage space like a shed or cabinet, it helps to be specific about where things are placed. You can use compound location words like achterin (in the back) and onderin (at the bottom) to pinpoint an object's position.
| Your brother has an old bicycle standing in the back of the shed. | Uw broer heeft een oude fiets achterin de schuur staan. |
| I have the keepsake lying in the back of the drawer. | Ik heb het aandenken achterin de la liggen. |
Notice how the choice of posture verb depends entirely on the item's shape and orientation, even when placed in similar locations:
| They have some shoes lying at the bottom of the closet. | Zij hebben wat schoenen onderin de kast liggen. |
| He has your toolbox standing at the bottom of the closet. | Uw gereedschapskist heeft hij onderin de kast staan. |