Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch.

I put the book on the table.

Breakdown of Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch.

• ich: I
• der Tisch: the table
• das Buch: the book
• den: the
• auf: on
• legen: to put

Questions & Answers about Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch.

Why do we use auf den Tisch in this sentence instead of auf dem Tisch?

In German, auf can take either the accusative or the dative case. When there is a sense of motion or movement towards a destination (you are placing the book somewhere), it takes the accusative (auf den Tisch). When it indicates a fixed location (the book is already on the table), it takes the dative (auf dem Tisch).

Why do we capture the idea of placing something with lege rather than legen?

Lege is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb legen (to lay). In German, verbs must be conjugated to match the subject. With ich (I), the verb form is lege.

Can we use stelle instead of lege?

Yes, you can say Ich stelle das Buch auf den Tisch, but stellen normally implies placing something in an upright or standing position. Legen suggests placing it in a lying or horizontal position. Both convey similar meanings but emphasize different orientations.

What is the role of das in das Buch here?

Das is the direct article in the accusative case for a neuter noun (das Buch). Even though das is the same in nominative and accusative cases for neuter nouns, here it shows that Buch is the direct object of the verb lege.

Why does ich come first in the sentence? Is the word order flexible?

German word order can be more flexible than English, but the finite verb (in this case, lege) usually appears in the second position in a main clause. Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch is a straightforward subject-verb-object structure. You could say Das Buch lege ich auf den Tisch for emphasis on das Buch, but it might sound more formal or place extra emphasis on the book.