Breakdown of Die Postleitzahl steht auf dem Brief.
stehen
to stand
auf
on / to (down/up to a level)
der Brief
the letter
die Postleitzahl
the postcode
Questions & Answers about Die Postleitzahl steht auf dem Brief.
Why does the sentence use steht instead of ist?
In German, words, numbers, and text don't just "exist" on a page—they "stand" there. You will almost always use stehen (to stand) when talking about something written or printed on a document, sign, or letter.
Why is it auf dem Brief and not auf den Brief?
The preposition auf (on) is a "two-way" preposition. When it describes a fixed location answering the question "where?" (wo?), it requires the dative case. Since the postcode is resting on the letter rather than being moved onto it, the masculine noun der Brief changes to the dative dem Brief.
How do you break down the word Postleitzahl?
It is a compound noun made of three parts: die Post (mail), the verb stem leit- (from leiten, to guide or route), and die Zahl (number). Literally, it is the "mail-routing number". In German compound nouns, the very last word determines the gender, which is why it uses die (from die Zahl).
Is there a shorter way to write Postleitzahl?
Yes! On official forms and in written addresses, it is almost always abbreviated as PLZ.