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Tom legt de map op de tafel.

Tom legt de map op de tafel.
Tom puts the folder on the table.
FromLesson 22inHardcore Dutch
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Breakdown of Tom legt de map op de tafel.

Tom
Tom
de tafel
the table
op
on
leggen
to put
de map
the folder

Questions & Answers about Tom legt de map op de tafel.

Why is legt used here, and how is it conjugated?

legt is the third-person singular present tense of the Dutch verb leggen (“to lay” or “to put down”). You form it by taking the stem leg- and adding -t for hij/zij/het (he/she/it). The full present-tense paradigm is:
• ik leg
• jij legt
• hij/zij/het legt
• wij/jullie/zij leggen

What is the difference between leggen and liggen?

leggen is a transitive, dynamic verb meaning “to lay (something) down” (it requires an object). liggen is intransitive and means “to lie” or “to be lying” (a static position).
Example:
• Tom legt de map op de tafel. (Tom places the folder on the table.)
• De map ligt op de tafel. (The folder is lying on the table.)

What does map mean in Dutch, and is it the same as English “map”?
In Dutch, map usually means “folder,” “binder,” or “file,” not a geographical map. A printed or digital map of a country is called (land)kaart. So in this sentence de map is “the folder.”
Why are de map and de tafel both using the article de?
Dutch nouns belong to two genders: common (de) and neuter (het). Both map and tafel are common-gender nouns, so they take de in the singular. Neuter nouns like het boek (“the book”) take het.
How does the preposition op work with the definite article, and why op de tafel?
op means “on” or “upon.” When it combines with the definite article, it stays separate: op de tafel. There is no contraction with de in Dutch (unlike French sur le → surle, which doesn’t exist).
What word-order rule applies to “Tom legt de map op de tafel”?

Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in the second position. Here the order is:

  1. Subject (Tom)
  2. Finite verb (legt)
  3. Object (de map)
  4. Adverbial/prepositional phrase (op de tafel)
Can you front the phrase op de tafel, and how does that affect word order?

Yes. You can move op de tafel to the first position for emphasis, but the finite verb still stays second. Then the subject follows:
“Op de tafel legt Tom de map.”
This construction shifts focus onto where the action happens.

How would you replace de map with a pronoun in this sentence?

Because map is a de-word and masculine in meaning, you use the object pronoun hem (him/it). The sentence becomes:
“Tom legt hem op de tafel.”

How do you pronounce the g in legt?
Dutch g is a guttural fricative, generally [ɣ] or , produced at the back of the throat. It’s similar to the “ch” in German Bach or Scottish “loch.”
Is leggen a separable verb?
No. leggen has no separable prefix and remains a single unit. Separable verbs in Dutch typically have a detachable element (e.g. uitleggen → “leg … uit”), but leggen itself never splits.

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