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How to use these verbs for people rather
than objects
In English, we distinguish between sitting down and sitting, standing up
and standing, laying down and lying. We may even use the verb ‘to hang’
for ‘hanging around’. In Dutch, it works in a similar way. To change the
verbs zitten, liggen and staan into action verbs, we add the verb gaan.
Examples:
Erik gaat even op de bank liggen.
Erik is laying down on the sofa for a minute.
Komt u binnen. Gaat u hier maar zitten.
Come in, please. Sit down over here, please.
Het publiek ging staan om te applaudiseren.
The audience rose to applaud.
The verb staan as an action verb will also appear with the separable
prefix op.
Hoe laat sta je morgen op? What time will you get up tomorrow?
Wilt u voor het slotlied opstaan? Would you stand for the closing hymn?
The verb hangen is used as a transitive verb with a human direct object
only in a very limited context, as in ophangen ‘to hang someone’, or zich
ophangen ‘to hang oneself ’. As an intransitive verb, you might find it in
some expressions in a non-literal sense:
Als ik dat examen niet haal, dan hang ik!
If I don’t pass that exam, I’ll die!
Also, you will find it in the context of ‘hanging around, loitering, sitting
in a lazy position’, sometimes with the separable prefix rond.
Hij hangt altijd in kroegen rond. He’s always hanging around in
bars.
Zij hangt de hele avond voor de She’s watching TV all evening.
televisie.
Hang niet zo in je stoel! Don’t hang in your chair like that.
How to
use these
verbs for
people
rather
than
objects
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