Ik leg de stapel boeken in de kast.

I put the stack of books in the cupboard.

Breakdown of Ik leg de stapel boeken in de kast.

• ik: I
• het boek: the book
• in: in
• de kast: the cupboard
• leggen: to put
• de stapel: the stack

Questions & Answers about Ik leg de stapel boeken in de kast.

What is the difference between leggen and liggen?

• Leggen is a transitive verb, which means “to put (something) down” in a horizontal position. It needs a direct object:
  • Ik leg de stapel boeken op tafel.
• Liggen is an intransitive verb, which means “to lie” or “to be lying” (no object).
  • De stapel boeken ligt op tafel.

Why is it ik leg and not ik lig in this sentence?

Because you’re performing the action of placing something, so you use leggen (to put down). Ik lig would mean “I lie (down) myself,” which doesn’t make sense here.

How do you conjugate leggen in the present tense?

Present-tense forms of leggen:
• Ik leg
• Jij legt
• Hij/zij/het legt
• Wij/jullie/zij leggen

Why is there no article before boeken in de stapel boeken?

In Dutch, when one noun (“stapel”) is described by another noun (“boeken”), the describing noun is not preceded by an article. Only the head noun gets the article:
• De stapel boeken (the pile of books)
If you wanted an indefinite article, it would be:
• Een stapel boeken

What determines the position of in de kast at the end of the sentence?

Dutch main clauses follow V2 word order: verb in second position, then the object(s) or adverbial phrases. In “Ik leg (V) de stapel boeken (O) in de kast (adv.)”, in de kast is an adverbial phrase of place, so it naturally comes after the direct object.

Why is the preposition in used here and not op?

• In indicates placement inside something (the books go into the cupboard).
• Op indicates placement on top of something (on top of the cupboard).

How would you express this sentence in the past tense?

Use the simple past of leggen:
• Ik legde de stapel boeken in de kast.

What is the past participle of leggen, and how would I use it?

The past participle is gelegd. With hebben you form the perfect tense:
• Ik heb de stapel boeken in de kast gelegd.

How can I make the sentence indefinite, like “I’m putting a pile of books in a cupboard”?

Replace de with een for both nouns if needed:
• Ik leg een stapel boeken in een kast.

You could also mix definite and indefinite:
• Ik leg een stapel boeken in de kast. (putting a pile of books into the cupboard)