Speaking reference
Position, movement and prepositions
This is a reference bank. Learn the essentials first, then review only the words missing from your answers.
Vocabulary
Topic vocabulary
Learn nouns with their article and verbs with a short example.
Show all words48
- liggen
- to lie, be located horizontally. Example: The book is on the table.
- staan
- to stand, be located upright. Example: The bottle is in the fridge.
- zitten
- to sit; to be inside. Example: The key is in my bag.
- hangen
- to hang. Example: The coat is hanging on the coat rack.
- leggen -> liggen
- action and result: put down -> lie. I put the book on the table. Then it lies there.
- zetten -> staan
- action and result: place upright -> stand. I put the bottle in the fridge. Then it stands there.
- in ... doen/stoppen -> zitten
- action and result: put inside -> be inside. I put the key in the bag. Now it is in the bag.
- ophangen -> hangen
- action and result: hang up -> hang. I hang up the coat. Now it hangs on the rack.
- geven -> krijgen
- two sides of transfer: give -> receive. I give her a book. She receives a book.
- op
- on a surface. The plate is on the table.
- in
- in, inside. The milk is in the fridge.
- aan
- on, attached to. The coat hangs on the rack.
- onder
- under. The bag is under the chair.
- boven
- above, upstairs. The lamp hangs above the table.
- naast
- next to. The bicycle is next to the house.
- tussen
- between. The shop is between the bank and pharmacy.
- voor
- in front of. The car is in front of the house.
- achter
- behind. The garden is behind the house.
- tegenover
- opposite. The bus stop is opposite the school.
- bij
- at, near, with. I wait at the entrance.
- naar
- to, towards. I go to the GP.
- van
- from, of. I come from work.
- uit
- out of. She takes the book out of the bag.
- door
- through. We walk through the park.
- over
- across, over. The bus drives across the bridge.
- langs
- along, past. Walk past the supermarket.
- links
- on the left, left. There is a cupboard on the left.
- rechts
- on the right, right. You see the entrance on the right.
- in het midden
- in the middle. A child is sitting in the middle.
- bovenaan
- at the top. Write your name at the top.
- onderaan
- at the bottom. Put your signature at the bottom.
- binnen
- inside. The children are playing inside.
- buiten
- outside. The bicycles are outside.
- hier
- here. Put the box down here.
- daar
- there. Put the coat down there.
- ergens
- somewhere. My phone is somewhere in the house.
- nergens
- nowhere. I cannot find the key anywhere.
- rechtdoor
- straight ahead. Go straight at the traffic light.
- linksaf
- turn left. Turn left at the bank.
- rechtsaf
- turn right. Turn right after the bridge.
- omhoog
- upwards. He lifts the box up.
- omlaag
- downwards. The lift goes down.
- naar binnen
- inside, inwards. Please come inside.
- naar buiten
- outside, outwards. She takes the rubbish outside.
- naar boven
- upstairs. I go upstairs.
- naar beneden
- downstairs. He walks downstairs.
- dichtbij
- nearby. The school is nearby.
- ver weg
- far away. The hospital is far away.