Learn German Fluently - How to PUT up with German
It's fascinating how the words that make up a language can define your reality. Let's take verbs as an example. In English the verb put can refer to a object, person or thing no matter its place or position in space.
In German to put an object, person or thing is relative to its position and place in space. The German language has a more exacting and informative way of describing reality. Thus, there are variations of the verb put used to describe the position of the object, person or thing in space:
legen (to lay something horizontally on a surface),
setzen (to set or sit something on a surface),
stehen (to stand something vertically on a surface) and
stecken (to stick something into a container)
Here are some Examples:
I put the baby in the crib.
Ich lege das Baby auf das Kinderbett.
I put the pillow on the sofa.
Ich setze das Kissen auf das Sofa.
I put the sports trophy on the shelf.
Ich stehe das Siegeszeichen auf das Regalbrett.
I put the turkey into the oven.
Ich stecke den Truthan in den Ofen.
This can seem to make learning German fluently an unfeasible task. But when you stop to think about it, English has the same precision to indicate "putting" things such as when we "lay", "stand", "stick", or "set" something on or in a surface. But we usually opt for the all purpose and more vague word "put".
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