Breakdown of Ligt de hamer op de tafel? Ja, hij ligt erop.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
op
on
de tafel
the table
liggen
to lie
ja
yes
de hamer
the hammer
erop
on it
Questions & Answers about Ligt de hamer op de tafel? Ja, hij ligt erop.
Why do we use erop for 'on it' instead of op het?
In Dutch, you generally don't put the word for 'it' after a preposition. Instead, 'it' changes into er and moves to the front of the preposition, fusing into a single word. So op (on) + 'it' becomes er + op = erop.
Why does the answer use hij (he) instead of het (it) to refer to a hammer?
Because hamer is a de word (de hamer). When referring back to a de word, Dutch usually uses hij (he) even for inanimate objects. You only use het (it) as a pronoun when referring back to a het word.
Why is the verb ligt (lies) used instead of is?
Dutch prefers to describe the exact physical position of objects rather than just saying they 'are' somewhere. Because a hammer naturally rests flat on its side, it 'lies' (ligt) on the table. If an object were resting in an upright position (like a vase), you would use staat (stands).
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