Norwegian word choices
Legge vs ligge: put it down or say where it is?
Use legge for placing something down and ligge for its position. Practise the distinction with a book and a phone.
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Four practice notes
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Situations, answers and short explanations.
Prompt
You ask to put your book flat on the table. Kan jeg ___ boka på bordet? Choose legge or ligge.
Answer and explanation
Kan jeg legge boka på bordet? Can I put the book on the table? You are placing the book: use legge.
Prompt
The book is on the table and can stay there. Boka kan ___ på bordet. Choose legge or ligge.
Answer and explanation
Boka kan ligge på bordet. The book can lie on the table. The book is already there: use ligge.
Prompt
You are about to put your phone flat beside your computer. Jeg skal ___ telefonen ved siden av datamaskinen. Choose legge or ligge.
Answer and explanation
Jeg skal legge telefonen ved siden av datamaskinen. I am going to put the phone beside the computer. You are placing the phone: use legge.
Prompt
Your phone can stay beside the computer. Telefonen kan ___ der. Choose legge or ligge.
Answer and explanation
Telefonen kan ligge der. The phone can lie there. The phone stays in its position: use ligge.
The difference
Legge: place something down. Jeg legger boka på bordet (I put the book on the table).
Ligge: describe its position. Boka ligger på bordet (the book is lying on the table).
After kan or skal, use the infinitive: Kan jeg legge boka her? Otherwise the present-tense forms are legger and ligger. These examples use objects placed flat; other objects can need different position verbs.
See NTNU’s explanation of placement and position for the grammar behind this distinction. Practice examples are original.