legen
Meaning and Usage
"Legen" means "to lay" or "to put" in English. It is used to describe the action of placing something down or positioning something in a specific way.
Linguistic Analysis
"Legen" is an infinitive verb. It can be combined with prefixes to form other verbs, such as "anlegen" (to put on) or "auslegen" (to lay out). Its origin is from the Middle High German word *legen, from Old High German *leggen, from Proto-Germanic *lagjaną.
Comparisons between German and English
The English word "lay" is similar to "legen" in the sense of placing something down, while "put" also captures some aspects of its meaning.
Cultural Context
"Legen" is a common verb used in everyday spoken and written German and is essential for describing actions involving placing or laying objects.
Example Sentences
- Bitte leg das Buch auf den Tisch. (Please put the book on the table.)
- Sie legte die Kleidung ordentlich zusammen. (She neatly laid the clothes together.)
Memory Tips
Associate "legen" with the English words "lay" and "put" to remember its meaning.
Additional Vocabulary
- anlegen (to put on)
- auslegen (to lay out)
- zurücklegen (to put back)
- umlegen (to put around)
- verlegen (to misplace)
Gender and Plural (for nouns)
N/A
Conjugation (for verbs)
- ich lege (I lay)
- du legst (you lay)
- er/sie/es legt (he/she/it lays)
- wir legen (we lay)
- ihr legt (you lay)
- sie legen (they lay)