Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander.

The chair and the table stand next to each other.

Breakdown of Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander.

• und: and
• der Tisch: the table
• der Stuhl: the chair
• stehen: to stand
• nebeneinander: next to each other

Questions & Answers about Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander.

Why is it stehen and not sind?

In German, you usually use a position verb instead of sein (to be) when you describe where physical objects are:

• stehen – to stand (upright position)
• liegen – to lie (horizontal)
• sitzen – to sit
• hängen – to hang

A chair and a table are typically upright, so German prefers:

• Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander.
  not
• … sind nebeneinander.

Sind is not wrong grammatically, but it sounds unnatural in this context. Native speakers nearly always choose stehen here.

Why is the verb stehen in the plural form?

The subject is Der Stuhl und der Tisch. That’s two things, so the subject is grammatically plural.

• Singular:
  
  • Der Stuhl steht nebeneinander. → impossible (you can’t be “next to each other” with only one item)
  • Der Stuhl steht neben dem Tisch. ✔ (one subject → verb: steht)
• Plural:
  
  • Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander. ✔ (two subjects → verb: stehen)

In German, just like in English, the verb agrees with the number of the subject:

• one item → steht
• more than one → stehen

Why is it der Stuhl und der Tisch, and not der Stuhl und Tisch?

You can say der Stuhl und Tisch, but it sounds shortened or somewhat stylistic. The most neutral, clear version repeats the article:

• Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander. ✔ (most natural)
• Der Stuhl und Tisch stehen nebeneinander. ✔ (possible, but less common/less explicit)

German often repeats the article for each noun in a list, especially with two separate, concrete objects.

What case are der Stuhl and der Tisch in?

They are in the nominative case, because they are the subject of the sentence.

• der Stuhl – nominative singular masculine
• der Tisch – nominative singular masculine

Pattern:

• Nominative: der Stuhl, der Tisch
• Accusative: den Stuhl, den Tisch
• Dative: dem Stuhl, dem Tisch

Here we are saying who/what is “standing”, so we need the nominative.

What does nebeneinander literally mean, and how is it formed?

Nebeneinander is written as one word and literally comes from:

• neben – next to, beside
• einander – each other

So nebeneinander means “(standing) next to each other” / “side by side.”
It functions as an adverb here: it describes how/where they stand.

Why is it nebeneinander in one word and not neben einander?

Modern standard German writes it as one word:

• nebeneinander ✔
• neben einander ✘ (old or nonstandard spelling in this sense)

Once neben + einander fused into a fixed expression with its own meaning (side by side), it became a single adverbial word in modern spelling.

What is the difference between nebeneinander and neben dem Tisch?

• nebeneinander = next to each other, requires at least two entities in the subject:

  • Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander.

• neben dem Tisch = next to the table, a preposition + dative object:

  • Der Stuhl steht neben dem Tisch.

So:

• Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander. → focuses on the relationship between the two items.
• Der Stuhl steht neben dem Tisch. → focuses on the chair’s position relative to the table.

Does nebeneinander affect the case of Stuhl or Tisch?

No. Nebeneinander is an adverb, not a preposition governing a case. It does not assign any case.

The case of Stuhl and Tisch comes from their function as the subject, so they are nominative:

• Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander.

If you use neben as a preposition instead, that affects the case:

• Der Stuhl steht neben dem Tisch. (dative: dem Tisch)

Could I say Der Stuhl und der Tisch sind nebeneinander?

People would understand you, and it’s not “wrong” structurally, but it sounds unnatural.

Native speakers strongly prefer a position verb (stehen) for objects like furniture:

• Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander. ✔ natural
• Der Stuhl und der Tisch sind nebeneinander. ❓ sounds odd

Use sein mainly for:

• identities: Das ist ein Tisch.
• descriptions: Der Tisch ist groß.
• locations when no specific posture is implied, especially with people or abstract things.
  For furniture, stehen / liegen / hängen are much more idiomatic.

Why is the verb in the second position, after the whole phrase Der Stuhl und der Tisch?

German main clauses usually obey the V2 rule: the finite verb is in second position (counting major elements, not individual words).

In this sentence:

1. Der Stuhl und der Tisch → 1st element (a single subject phrase)
2. stehen → 2nd element (the verb)
3. nebeneinander → rest of the sentence

Even though the subject phrase has several words, it still counts as one element. So the verb is correctly in position 2.

Can I move nebeneinander to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes, but then the verb still must be second, and the subject moves after the verb:

• Nebeneinander stehen der Stuhl und der Tisch.

This is grammatically correct but sounds a bit poetic or stylistic. The normal everyday word order is:

• Der Stuhl und der Tisch stehen nebeneinander.

Why are Stuhl and Tisch capitalized?

In German, all nouns are capitalized:

• der Stuhl – Stuhl is a noun
• der Tisch – Tisch is a noun

This is a standard spelling rule: every common noun (and proper noun) starts with a capital letter, no matter where it appears in the sentence.

What are the plural forms of Stuhl and Tisch, and how would the sentence change?

• der Stuhl → die Stühle
• der Tisch → die Tische

Examples:

• Die Stühle und die Tische stehen nebeneinander.
  → The chairs and the tables stand next to each other.

The verb stays in the plural: stehen.

Is Stuhl always “chair”? I’ve seen it used differently.

In everyday contexts like this sentence:

• der Stuhl = the chair

You’re right that Stuhl also has a medical meaning: “stool” (feces) in a clinical context. But in sentences about furniture, it almost always means chair. Context makes the meaning clear.