Breakdown of Legen Sie das Spielzeug und das Kissen bitte in den Korb!
und
and
in
in
Sie
you (formal)
bitte
please
legen
to lay / to put (flat)
das Spielzeug
the toy
der Korb
the basket
das Kissen
the cushion
Questions & Answers about Legen Sie das Spielzeug und das Kissen bitte in den Korb!
Why do we use in den Korb here instead of im Korb?
The verb legen describes moving something to a destination. With two-way prepositions like in, motion towards a goal requires the accusative case. Since basket is masculine (der Korb), it becomes in den Korb. If the toys were already resting inside the basket, there is no change of location, so you would use the dative case (im Korb).
Why use legen here to say "put"? Couldn't I use stellen?
In German, you must be specific about how an object is placed. Legen means to lay something down flat or horizontally. A cushion (das Kissen) and a generic toy (das Spielzeug) don't usually have a designated upright standing position, so they are laid down. You use stellen when you stand something upright on its base, like a vase or a lamp.
Why does the verb legen come at the very beginning of the sentence?
This sentence is a formal command, also called the formal imperative. When you instruct someone using the polite Sie, the verb must come first in its infinitive form, followed immediately by the pronoun Sie.
Is Spielzeug singular or plural in this sentence?
Here, it is singular (das Spielzeug), which means "the toy". However, in German, Spielzeug is often used as a collective noun to mean "toys" in general, much like "furniture" or "luggage" in English. If you want to emphasize multiple distinct toys, you can use the plural form die Spielzeuge.
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