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Often, you will see the verb zetten in combination with the separable prefix
neer, which means ‘down’. A few more examples in context:
Waar heb je m’n tas neergezet? Where did you put my briefcase?
Zet mijn koffie hier maar neer. Please put my coffee down here.
Stoppen and zitten
The verb stoppen is used when one puts an object into a small confined
space, like a pocket, a bag, the washing machine, or jail, for that matter,
a space that may not actually be small, but feels small. And when that object
is in that space, we use the verb zitten.
Ik stop 10 euro in mijn portemonnee.
I put a 10 euro bill in my wallet.
Sanne stopt de was in de wasmachine.
Sanne puts the laundry in the machine.
Erik stopt een zakdoek in z’n zak.
Erik puts a handkerchief in his pocket.
Ze hebben die man in een inrichting gestopt.
They’ve put that man in an institution.
Er zit een briefje van tien in m’n portemonnee.
There’s a 10 euro bill in my wallet.
De was zit nog in de machine.
The laundry is still in the machine.
Een zakdoek zit meestal in je zak.
A handkerchief is usually in your pocket.
Die man zit al jaren in die inrichting.
That man has been in that institution for years.
A frequently used alternative for stoppen is steken, although they are not
entirely interchangeable. Some examples:
Hij steekt z’n handen in z’n zak. He puts his hands in his pockets.
Ik steek de brief in de brievenbus. I put the letter in the mail box.
Ze steekt de spelden in de stof. She sticks the pins in the material.
Stoppen
and zitten
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