Word
Leg je de spiegel op het bed, of zet je hem rechtop?
Meaning
Are you laying the mirror on the bed, or are you putting it upright?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Leg je de spiegel op het bed, of zet je hem rechtop?
Why does the sentence use leg in the first half and zet in the second half?
Both are transitive posture verbs, meaning someone is actively placing an object (the mirror). You use leggen (to lay) when putting something down in a flat, horizontal position, like on a bed. You use zetten (to put/set) when placing something down in a vertical, upright position.
If the mirror is already resting on the bed, would I use liggen or leggen?
You would use liggen (to lie). Leggen is the active motion of putting it there. Once the mirror is flat on the bed, it is just resting without a direct object being moved, so you use the intransitive verb and say De spiegel ligt op het bed.
If the mirror is already placed upright, does it "sit" (zit) or "stand" (staat)?
It "stands" (staat). The active verb zetten (to place upright) pairs with the resting state of staan (to stand). So once you are done placing it, you would say De spiegel staat rechtop.
Why does the sentence use hem (him) to refer to a mirror?