liegen
to lie
To be or rest in a horizontal position.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Arbeit liege ich gerne auf dem Sofa.
After work, I like to lie on the sofa.
liegen
to lie / be located
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Meanings
liegen
to be located
To be in a particular geographical place.
EXAMPLE
Die Stadt Hamburg liegt im Norden von Deutschland.
The city of Hamburg is located in the north of Germany.
liegen an
to be due to
To be the cause or reason for something.
EXAMPLE
Es liegt am schlechten Wetter, dass das Fest abgesagt wurde.
It is due to the bad weather that the festival was canceled.
liegen
to suit
To suit someone, to match their abilities or inclinations.
EXAMPLE
Mathematik hat mir in der Schule nie wirklich gelegen.
Mathematics never really suited me at school.
liegen
to be ranked
To occupy a certain position in a ranking or order.
EXAMPLE
In der Tabelle liegt unsere Mannschaft auf dem dritten Platz.
In the table, our team is in third place.
Usage tips
Perfect tense with 'haben'
Although 'liegen' (to lie) describes a state, it forms the perfect tense with 'haben' (to have), not with 'sein' (to be). This is a common source of mistakes for learners.
EXAMPLE
Das Buch hat die ganze Zeit auf dem Tisch gelegen.
The book was lying on the table the whole time.
Position with dative
When 'liegen' (to lie / be located) describes a position, it is always used with a preposition of place and the dative. It answers the question 'Wo?' (Where?).
EXAMPLE
Meine Schlüssel liegen auf dem Schrank.
My keys are on the cabinet.
Fixed expression with 'an'
In the meaning 'to be the cause', 'liegen' is fixed with the preposition 'an' and the dative. The typical structure is 'Es liegt an ...' (It is due to ...).
EXAMPLE
Die Verspätung liegt am Stau auf der Autobahn.
The delay is due to the traffic jam on the highway.
Construction with dative
To express that something suits someone well or badly, a dative construction is used. The person is in the dative, while the ability or topic is the subject.
EXAMPLE
Fremdsprachen haben mir schon immer gelegen.
Foreign languages have always suited me.
Typical collocations
When referring to a position in a ranking, 'liegen' (to be ranked / to be placed) is often combined with expressions like 'auf Platz ...' (in ... place), 'an der Spitze' (at the top), or 'im Mittelfeld' (in the middle of the field).
EXAMPLE
Deutschland liegt bei den Exporten weltweit auf einem der vorderen Plätze.
Germany ranks among the top countries worldwide in exports.
Compare with
liegen vs stehen
to stand
When talking about a building, stehen and liegen can both indicate its location. Stehen presents the building more as a visible physical object in a specific place, while liegen emphasizes its geographical location in an area. For a location on a map, liegen is therefore usually the better choice.
liegen
Das Rathaus liegt mitten in der historischen Altstadt.
The town hall is located in the heart of the historic old town.
stehen
Das Rathaus steht direkt neben der alten Kirche.
The town hall stands right next to the old church.
In real life
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