Breakdown of Die Frau legt den Löffel auf den Teller.
die Frau
the woman
auf
on
der Teller
the plate
legen
to place
Questions & Answers about Die Frau legt den Löffel auf den Teller.
Why does die Frau use die instead of der or das?
die is the feminine singular definite article in the nominative case. Frau (woman) is a feminine noun, so its subject form (nominative) takes die.
Why is den Löffel in the accusative case?
legen is a transitive verb requiring a direct object. The direct object (the spoon) is masculine (der Löffel), so in the accusative it becomes den Löffel (der → den).
Why does auf den Teller use den again and not dem?
The preposition auf can take either dative or accusative:
- Use dative for location (Wo?).
- Use accusative for direction/movement (Wohin?).
Here the woman is placing (moving) the spoon onto the plate, so it’s accusative: den Teller (der → den).
What is the difference between legen and liegen?
legen means “to lay (something)” (an action of putting down)—it’s transitive.
liegen means “to lie” (to be lying down)—it’s intransitive, describing a state or position.