legen
to lay / put
To bring something into a lying, horizontal position or put it in a specific place.
EXAMPLE
Sie legte das schlafende Baby vorsichtig in sein Bett.
She carefully laid the sleeping baby in its bed.
legen
to lay
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Meanings
sich legen
to lie down
To move oneself into a lying position; to lie down.
EXAMPLE
Der Hund legte sich vor den warmen Kamin.
The dog lay down in front of the warm fireplace.
sich legen
to subside
To decrease in intensity; to ease off or stop, e.g. a storm, excitement, or pain.
EXAMPLE
Warte einfach ab, die ganze Aufregung wird sich bald wieder legen.
Just wait, all the excitement will soon subside again.
Wert legen auf
to value
To consider something important or significant; to value something.
EXAMPLE
Meine Chefin legt großen Wert auf Pünktlichkeit und Zuverlässigkeit.
My boss places great value on punctuality and reliability.
Eier legen
to lay eggs
The action of birds, reptiles, or insects producing and depositing eggs.
EXAMPLE
Unsere Hühner legen im Sommer fast jeden Tag Eier.
Our chickens lay eggs almost every day in the summer.
den Grundstein legen für
to lay the foundation
To create the foundation or basis for a future development.
EXAMPLE
Mit dieser Entdeckung legte die Forscherin den Grundstein für eine neue Therapie.
With this discovery, the researcher laid the foundation for a new therapy.
Usage tips
Accusative complement
'Legen' (to lay/put) describes movement to a place and therefore almost always needs a complement in the accusative. You ask: Whom or what am I laying/putting? Where am I putting it?
EXAMPLE
Ich lege den Stift auf den Tisch.
I'm putting the pen on the table.
Reflexive use
The reflexive form 'sich legen' (to lie down) means that a person or animal moves themselves into a lying position. Here too, a 'where to?' phrase in the accusative often follows.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem langen Tag möchte ich mich nur noch aufs Sofa legen.
After the long day, I just want to lie down on the sofa.
Context clue: abstract
When the subject is something abstract or a natural phenomenon, e.g. 'der Sturm' (the storm), 'die Aufregung' (the excitement), or 'der Schmerz' (the pain), 'sich legen' means that it loses strength or stops.
EXAMPLE
Der Wind hat sich über Nacht gelegt.
The wind subsided overnight.
Fixed expression
The expression 'Wert legen auf etwas' (to place value on something) is fixed and is always used with the preposition 'auf' and the accusative. It means that you consider something important.
EXAMPLE
Er legt viel Wert auf eine gesunde Ernährung.
He places a lot of value on a healthy diet.
Typical collocation
In biology, 'Eier legen' (to lay eggs) is a fixed collocation that describes how certain animals, such as birds, insects, and reptiles, produce their eggs.
EXAMPLE
Die Schildkröte hat ihre Eier am Strand gelegt.
The turtle laid its eggs on the beach.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'den Grundstein legen für etwas' (to lay the foundation for something) is a fixed expression. It is used with the preposition 'für' and the accusative and means to create the basis for something in the future.
EXAMPLE
Mit diesem Vertrag legen wir den Grundstein für eine erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit.
With this contract, we are laying the foundation for a successful collaboration.
Compare with
legen vs liegen
to lie / be located
Liegen describes an object's state when it is in a horizontal position. Legen, on the other hand, refers to the action of bringing the object into that position or to a location. So ask: Is it already there, or is someone putting it there?
legen
Ich lege das Buch jetzt auf den Tisch.
I’m putting the book on the table now.
liegen
Das Buch liegt jetzt auf dem Tisch.
The book is on the table now.
In real life
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