Are You Getting Laid? (Ligger OR Lægger and when to use them)

August 6, 2017

Liam Jon Pilmore

What to do with your head?

Are you confused? You don't know whether to lay or lie your head in your hands? We've all been there!

Here are two verbs which used to make me crazy (to verber som plejede at gøre mig sindssyg): to lie (at ligge) and to lay (at lægge). I sometimes have the same problem (nogle gange har jeg det samme problem). It also gets confusing in English. I've lost count how many times I've Googled this one.

There are two different ways (der er to forskellige måder) to remember and use the right one. Is there an object? (er der et objekt?) Or is there a movement? (er der en bevægelse?)

She's lying on the beach (Hun ligger på stranden). The state is static (tilstanden er statisk). There's neither object nor movement, yet! ;) (der er hverken objekt eller bevægelse), so you must use at ligge.

Move it!

I find it easiest to think of movement. Hit play for pronunciations.

Jeg vil gå hen og lægge mig på sofaen (bevægelse). Så vil jeg ligge der hele dagen (statisk). I will go over and lay on the sofa (movement). Then I'll lie there all day! (static)

Jeg lægger en avis på bordet (bevægelse). Nu ligger avisen på bordet (statisk). I lay the newspaper on the table (movement). Now it lies on the table (static).

At lægge = movement

At ligge = no movement

The same rules apply for to sit (at sidde) and to put/set (at sætte).

At sidde = statisk

At sætte = bevægelse

Han sætter sig på en stol. Så sidder han der i fem timer. He sets himself down on a stool. Then he sits there for five hours.

You get a bonus (Du får en bonus)

Here are the verb forms:

Infinitive (infinitiv) Present (Nutid) Past Tense (Datid) Past Participle (Før-nutid)