Ich lege das Schneidebrett auf den Tisch, bevor ich die Paprika schneide.

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Breakdown of Ich lege das Schneidebrett auf den Tisch, bevor ich die Paprika schneide.

• der Tisch: the table
• auf: on
• legen: to put

Questions & Answers about Ich lege das Schneidebrett auf den Tisch, bevor ich die Paprika schneide.

Why is lege used here? Why not some other verb for put?

Legen is the normal verb for put/lay something so that it ends up lying flat.

That fits a cutting board well, because a cutting board is typically placed flat on a table.

German often distinguishes these verbs more clearly than English:

• legen = put something so it lies
• stellen = put something so it stands
• setzen = seat/set someone or something in a sitting position

So das Schneidebrett auf den Tisch legen sounds very natural.

Why is it das Schneidebrett?

Schneidebrett is a neuter noun, so its article is das.

It is also a compound noun:

• schneiden = to cut
• Brett = board

In German compounds, the last part usually determines the gender, and Brett is neuter, so:

• das Brett
• das Schneidebrett

In this sentence, das Schneidebrett is also the direct object of lege, so it is in the accusative. But for neuter singular nouns, the nominative and accusative article are both das, so the form does not change.

Why is it auf den Tisch and not ?