Breakdown of Er stellt den Computer auf den Schreibtisch.
er
he
der Computer
the computer
auf
on / to (down/up to a level)
stellen
to place / to put (upright)
der Schreibtisch
the desk
Questions & Answers about Er stellt den Computer auf den Schreibtisch.
Why is it auf den Schreibtisch and not auf dem Schreibtisch?
auf is a "two-way preposition". It takes the accusative case when it describes a movement toward a destination (answering "where to?" or wohin?). Since he is moving the computer onto the desk, we use the masculine accusative form den. If the computer were already sitting on the desk with no movement involved (answering "where at?" or wo?), it would take the dative case: auf dem Schreibtisch.
Why use the verb stellen here for "putting"?
In German, you often have to be specific about how you put something down. stellen means to set something in an upright or standing position. A computer (like a monitor or a tower) is usually placed upright, so we use stellen. If he were laying something flat on the desk, like a piece of paper, he would use the verb legen.
Why is it den Computer and not der Computer?
Computer is a masculine noun (der Computer). In this sentence, it is the direct object—the thing that is being put on the desk. Because it is receiving the action, it takes the accusative case, which changes the masculine "the" from der to den.
How is the word Schreibtisch formed?
It's a compound noun built from the verb stem schreib- (from schreiben, meaning "to write") and the noun der Tisch (meaning "the table"). So, der Schreibtisch literally translates to "writing table", which is the German word for desk.
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