stehen
to stand (be upright) · to be located, to be situated · to be written, to say · to be in a certain state or condition
Stehen means 'to stand' in the sense of being upright or located somewhere. It is also used in many fixed expressions, such as 'unter Druck stehen' (to be under pressure) or 'auf etwas stehen' (to like something).
What stehen means
- to stand (be upright) — for people, animals, or objects in an upright position
- to be located, to be situated — for buildings, furniture, or other objects
- to be written, to say — for text, signs, or labels
- to be in a certain state or condition — in phrases like 'unter Druck stehen' (to be under pressure)
Heard in real German videos
Lines where stehen was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Kanzler? Wie sehr steht er unter Druck?Chancellor? How much pressure is he under?
- Was steht denn da drauf?What does it say on it?
- Zufällig steht hier gerade eine Leiter.Coincidentally, there's just a ladder right here.
Example sentences
- Ich stehe an der Bushaltestelle.I am standing at the bus stop.
- Das Haus steht am Ende der Straße.The house is at the end of the street.
- Was steht auf dem Schild?What does the sign say?
- Er steht unter großem Druck.He is under a lot of pressure.
Grammar
| Present (ich/du/er) | stehe / stehst / steht |
|---|---|
| Simple past | stand |
| Perfect | hat gestanden |
| Separable | no |
| Case | takes no object (intransitive) |
The perfect tense uses 'haben': 'Ich habe gestanden.' In southern Germany and Austria, 'sein' is sometimes used, but 'haben' is standard.
Common phrases
- stehen bleibento stop, to remain standing
- unter Druck stehento be under pressure
- auf etwas stehento like something (colloquial)
- zur Verfügung stehento be available
- in Frage stehento be in question, to be at stake
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers often confuse 'stehen' with 'stellen' (to put/place). 'Stehen' is intransitive (something stands), while 'stellen' is transitive (you place something). Example: 'Ich stehe' (I stand) vs. 'Ich stelle die Vase auf den Tisch' (I put the vase on the table).
Don’t confuse it with
- stellen — stellen means 'to put/place' and takes a direct object; stehen means 'to stand' and does not.
- sitzen — sitzen means 'to sit'; stehen means 'to stand'.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between 'stehen' and 'stellen'?
'Stehen' is intransitive and means 'to stand' (e.g., 'Ich stehe'). 'Stellen' is transitive and means 'to put/place' (e.g., 'Ich stelle das Buch ins Regal').
How do you conjugate 'stehen' in the present tense?
ich stehe, du stehst, er/sie/es steht, wir stehen, ihr steht, sie/Sie stehen.
What does 'auf etwas stehen' mean?
It is a colloquial expression meaning 'to like something' or 'to be into something', e.g., 'Ich stehe auf Jazz' (I'm into jazz).