Het boek ligt op de tafel.
English: The book is on the table.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- A1
- Unit
- Voorzetsels, getallen en tijd
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Prepositions of place in Dutch are words that show where someone or something is located.
When to use it
Use these prepositions to describe the position of people or objects. For example, to say where something is in a room or in relation to another object.
Key forms
- op
- in
- naast
- onder
- boven
- achter
- voor
- tussen
Examples
De kat zit onder de stoel.
English: The cat is under the chair.
De lamp hangt boven het bed.
English: The lamp is above the bed.
De auto staat voor het huis.
English: The car is in front of the house.
De winkel is tussen de bank en het café.
English: The shop is between the bank and the café.
Tips
- Pay attention to the difference between 'op' (on) and 'in' (in).
- The preposition is usually followed by 'de' or 'het' and a noun.
- Word order in Dutch sentences may be different from English; the preposition comes before the noun.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some prepositions can change meaning depending on the context, for example, 'op' can mean 'on' or 'at' in some cases.