# staat vs ligt



## -Styx-

I've just started learning dutch with rosetta stone, is there anyone that can explain me in short the difference between "ligt" and "staat" 
Examples:
"De computer staat op de tafel"
"De appel ligt op de computer"
Thank you


----------



## Platonov_

Staan is "to stand", liggen is "to lie". Some objects can't really "staan", for those objects you use "liggen".


----------



## HKK

Yep. And, I'm sorry to say, that's not all: some things "zitten". There's no no way to tell exactly which object will sit, and which one stands. On top of that, it also depends on the place where something stands/sits/lies. But do not despair, it's actually quite intuitive. Here's some pointers (far from exhaustive!)

*staan *

everything that's higher than it is wide: een glas, een boom...
buildings, even if they are quite flat: gebouw, apartementsgebouw, huis, schuur...
quantities or containers of food or uncountables in general(?): "Er staat boter op tafel", "Er staan nog koekjes in de kast"; natives, help me out here 
digital files, web pages: "Staat je werkstuk op het internet?", "Waar staat die link?"
printed text or symbols on a medium: "Boven de deur stond in grote letters 'GESTICHT'."
*zitten
*

things in a container: "Er zitten nog koekjes in het pak" (Note that if I said "Er zitten nog koekjes in de kast", I would give the impression that they are directly in the cupboard without a container)
people in a container, even when they are not actually sitting down: "Ik zit thuis", "Hij zit in de gevangenis"
most animals: "Er zit een spin op tafel", "Let op, hier zitten gevaarlijke slangen" or pejoratively people: "Het zit hier vol bedelaars"~"This place is crawling with beggars" 
elements in a mix: "Wat zit er in een margarita?"
the earth is probably considered a mix: "Hier zit veel goud in de grond"
*liggen*

mostly flat items like books, paper
obviously people and animals that lie down, but only if they can also sit! For example, a snake always "sits" because that's its only way to be, but a cat can lie down as opposed to satnding or sitting.
objects without a clear shape or with a composed shape: "Waar ligt mijn jas? Waar liggen mijn sleutels?". But your pocket is considered a container so "Ah laat maar, ze zitten in mijn zak!"
dead animals or people, buried or not: "Hier ligt Max Scheepmans 1922-1996", "Er ligt een dode duif op straat."
Once again, don't take this as an exhaustive study guide, it's more to get a feel of how this thing works


----------



## Kabouterke

Of hangen, of zitten, of lopen, of....


----------



## NewtonCircus

Hi Styx,

For things that can't be touched physically ike current, software or pressure you can (often) use both _staan_ and _zitten_.

- E_r zit (staat) stroom op die draad_
- _Staat (zit) er al software of die computer.
_
Groetjes Herman


----------



## Joannes

Zie ook:
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1340549


----------



## HKK

NewtonCircus said:


> - _Staat (zit) er al software o*p* die computer.
> _ Groetjes Herman



Can't say I agree. The only thing that_ *zit *op een computer_, in my opinion, would be a virus.


----------



## NewtonCircus

HKK said:


> Can't say I agree. The only thing that_ *zit *op een computer_, in my opinion, would be a virus.


A virus is software .

Groetjes Herman


----------



## Kabouterke

NewtonCircus said:


> Hi Styx,
> 
> For things that can't be touched physically ike current, software or pressure you can (often) use both _staan_ and _zitten_.
> 
> - E_r zit (staat) stroom op die draad_
> - _Staat (zit) er al software of die computer.
> _
> Groetjes Herman



Yes, that does sound a little unusual to me.  But, you are correct that they sometimes still use the word zitten with intangible objects (in the ordinary sense).

Bijvoorbeeld:

Marie, de taart is heerlijk! Wat zit d'r in?
Dat zit niet in mijn karakter!


----------



## NewtonCircus

HKK said:


> Can't say I agree. The only thing that_ *zit *op een computer_, in my opinion, would be a virus.



Thanks for the correction of the typo error.
The use of _zitten_ en _staan_ in this context is very common among technology people (_techneuten_). I assume others can confirm if this is proper from a linguistic point of view.

Google: 
_"zit er spanning op" 42100 hits 
"staat er spanning op" 44200 hits  _
_"zit er software op" 5850 hits
"staat er software op" 5660 hits 

_PS: Ik moet er eerlijkheidshalve nog bij zeggen dat er fysisch gezien geen stroom op een draad kan staan.
Stroom vloeit altijd door een draad .

Groetjes Herman


----------

