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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson introduces Dutch prepositions of place such as 'aan', 'in', and 'onder'. It explains their meaning and usage with practical examples and highlights key grammar points, helping beginner learners describe locations accurately and understand nuances compared to English.
  1. Prepositions come before the noun.
  2. Use 'in' for indoor spaces and 'op' for surfaces.

 

Aan (At)

Het schilderij hangt aan de muur. (The painting hangs on the wall.)

Bij (By)

Mijn tas ligt bij de deur. (My bag is by the door.)

Achter (Behind)

Er staat een man achter de boom. (There is a man behind the tree.)

Boven (Above)

De vogel vliegt boven het huis. (The bird flies above the house.)

Buiten (Outside)

Er staat een auto buiten het gebouw. (There is a car outside the building.)

In (In)

Het speelgoed ligt in de doos. (The toy is in the box.)

Naast (Next to)

De school is naast de supermarkt. (The school is next to the supermarket.)

Onder (Under)

Er ligt een tapijt onder de tafel. (There is a carpet under the table.)

Op (On)

Het boek ligt op de plank. (The book lies on the shelf.)

Tegen (Against)

De jongen leunt tegen de muur. (The boy is leaning against the wall.)

Tegenover (Opposite)

Het huis staat tegenover het park. (The house is opposite the park.)

Tussen (Between)

De kat zit tussen de stoelen. (The cat is sitting between the chairs.)

Voor (For)

De tuin ligt voor het huis. (The garden lies in front of the house.)

 

Exceptions!

  1. Some prepositions change their meaning depending on how they are used.
  2. 'Op' can indicate location, but also time ('op maandag').

Exercise 1: Voorzetsels van plaats (aan, in, onder,...)

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

tussen, op, bij, aan, in, voor, boven

1.
De vork ligt ... de lepel en het mes.
(The fork is between the spoon and the knife.)
2.
De stoel staat... de tafel.
(The chair is next to the table.)
3.
Het bestek ligt ... de tafel.
(The specification is on the table.)
4.
De pan staat ... het fornuis.
(The pan is on the stove.)
5.
De eettafel staat ... het raam.
(The dining table is in front of the window.)
6.
De lamp hangt ... de tafel.
(The lamp hangs above the table.)
7.
Het mes ligt ... de la met bestek
(The knife is in the drawer with the cutlery)
8.
De tas hangt ... de stoel.
(The bag is hanging on the chair.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Het bestek ligt ___ de borden op tafel.

(The cutlery is lying ___ the plates on the table.)

2. De servetten liggen ___ de grote schaal.

(The napkins are ___ the large bowl.)

3. Het glas staat ___ het tafellaken.

(The glass is ___ the tablecloth.)

4. De tafel staat ___ de muur in de eetkamer.

(The table is ___ the wall in the dining room.)

5. De stoelen staan ___ de tafel.

(The chairs are ___ the table.)

6. Het mes ligt ___ het bord op het tafelkleed.

(The knife is lying ___ the plate on the tablecloth.)

Prepositions of Place in Dutch

This lesson focuses on common Dutch prepositions of place, such as aan, in, onder, and many others. These prepositions are essential for describing the location of objects and people in space.

Key Prepositions and Examples

  • Aan: used to express attachment or contact, e.g., "Het schilderij hangt aan de muur." (The painting hangs on the wall.)
  • Bij: indicates proximity, e.g., "Mijn tas ligt bij de deur." (My bag is by the door.)
  • Achter: means behind, e.g., "Er staat een man achter de boom." (There is a man behind the tree.)
  • Boven: means above, e.g., "De vogel vliegt boven het huis." (The bird flies above the house.)
  • In: indicates inside of something, e.g., "Het speelgoed ligt in de doos." (The toys are in the box.)
  • Op: used for surfaces, e.g., "Het boek ligt op de plank." (The book lies on the shelf.)
  • Onder: means under, e.g., "Er ligt een tapijt onder de tafel." (There is a rug under the table.)
  • Tussen: means between, e.g., "De kat zit tussen de stoelen." (The cat sits between the chairs.)

Usage Notes

Dutch prepositions usually appear before the noun. For example, in "Het boek ligt op de plank," op comes directly before the noun de plank. Some prepositions, like in and op, have specific uses: in is for enclosed spaces while op is for surfaces.

Also, prepositions can have different meanings depending on context. For example, op can indicate a place or time: "op maandag" (on Monday).

Grammar Tips

  • Remember that in Dutch, the preposition always precedes the noun, unlike in some languages where word order can be flexible.
  • Practice with common location phrases to get a feel for how prepositions function in everyday speech.

Differences with English

Some Dutch prepositions do not have a one-to-one equivalent in English. For example, aan is often translated as "at" or "on," depending on context, but it can specifically imply attachment to a surface, which English might express differently.

Useful Dutch phrases include:

  • aan de muur – on the wall
  • bij de deur – by the door
  • onder de tafel – under the table
  • tussen de stoelen – between the chairs

Practicing these will help learners grasp spatial relationships in Dutch accurately.

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Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 29/05/2025 16:34