Ik leg het mes in de lade.

I put the knife in the drawer.

Breakdown of Ik leg het mes in de lade.

• ik: I
• in: in
• het mes: the knife
• leggen: to put
• de lade: the drawer

Questions & Answers about Ik leg het mes in de lade.

Why is the verb leggen used in Ik leg het mes in de lade, and not zetten, plaatsen, or stoppen?

All four verbs can mean “to put” or “to place,” but they have slight nuances:

• leggen literally means “to lay” something down in a horizontal position.
• zetten implies “to set” something upright or in a standing position.
• plaatsen is more neutral/formal, “to place” or “position.”
• stoppen suggests “to stuff” or “to stick” something into an opening.

In this context, you’re placing a knife (horizontal) into a drawer, so leggen is the most natural. You could say Ik stop het mes in de lade if you imagine pushing it in among other items, but leggen is by far the most common choice here.

How does leggen differ from liggen?

leggen is an action verb (transitive): you actively place something. It takes a direct object: Ik leg het mes.
liggen is a state verb (intransitive): something “lies” somewhere. Example: Het mes ligt in de lade (“The knife is in the drawer”).

Use leggen when you put it there; use liggen to describe where it already is.

Why is it het mes but de lade? How do I know which article to use?

Dutch has two grammatical genders: common (de) and neuter (het). There’s no simple rule, so you have to learn each noun’s gender. A few hints:
• Many diminutives (like tafeltje) are neuter (het tafeltje).
• Nouns ending in –ing, –heid, –ie are common.
• Mes is irregularly neuter, so it takes het.
• Lade is a common noun, so it takes de.

Always check a dictionary when in doubt.

Why does the sentence end with in de lade? Could I put it before het mes?

Dutch main clauses follow the “Verb-second” (V2) rule. The finite verb (leg) must be the second element. Standard order: Subject – Verb – Object – Adverbials (including prepositional phrases). So:

1. Ik (subject)
2. leg (verb)
3. het mes (object)
4. in de lade (location)

You could front the location for emphasis: In de lade leg ik het mes, but then the verb stays second and the subject follows it.

How do I ask “Where do you put the knife?” in Dutch?

Use waar for “where” and keep V2 order:
Waar leg je het mes (in)?
You can add in at the end or omit it if the context is clear:
• Waar leg je het mes?
• Waar leg je het mes in?

What is the past tense of Ik leg het mes in de lade?

Dutch often uses the present perfect for past events. You have two options:

1. Imperfect (simple past): Ik legde het mes in de lade.
2. Present perfect (more common in speech): Ik heb het mes in de lade gelegd.

Note that leggen is irregular in the perfect: the past participle is gelegd.

Can I say Ik leg mes in lade without the articles to sound more informal?

No. Dutch generally requires definite or indefinite articles with singular countable nouns. Omitting them sounds ungrammatical. Always say het mes and de lade (or een mes / een lade if indefinite).

How many objects does leggen take in this sentence?

Leggen here takes two complements:

1. A direct object (what is being laid): het mes
2. A prepositional object indicating location: in de lade

So you have one direct object and one prepositional phrase.

What’s the difference between in de lade and op de lade?

• in de lade means “inside the drawer.”
• op de lade means “on top of the drawer.”

Choose in when you’re placing the knife into the compartment; use op if you leave it on the outside surface.