Goethe A2 Verb #47 Verb

setzen

hat gesetzt · setzte
Based on: *sed-
1.

to set, to put, to place

(The least common of the "trifecta" of placing (setzen, stellen, legen). For "setzen" there is an element of "being carried", but it's really abstract. By itself, it's for instance used for putting money on a bet. It is NOT used in the sense of "settings".)
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Examples
  • Ich setze mein ganzes Geld auf das rote Pferd.
  • I'm placing all my money on the red horse.
2.

to sit down, to take a seat

("sich+Acc setzen" - ONLY for the act of sitting down. The sitting itself is called "sitzen".)
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Examples
  • Ich setze mich auf den Stuhl.
  • I sit down on the chair.

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Questions and Comments

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4 Comments
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kalyana
kalyana

Isn’t neben followed by Dative pronoun in the example?
Er hat sich neben mir gesetzt.

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Emanuel
Admin
Emanuel
Reply to  kalyana

Both are okay.
“mich” emphasizes the “next to me” as a destination, while “neben mir” is more about where the sitting down is taking place, but in essence it means the same.

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Rhonda
Rhonda

This way of treating verbs will be very useful, and I look forward to seeing full explanations and samples!!

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Emanuel
Author
Emanuel
Reply to  Rhonda

Thanks a lot. I’m working a lot on this dictionary at the moment and I’m really happy to see that people start finding and using it.

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How many meanings does the German word 'setzen' have?

setzen has 2 distinct meanings: 1. to set, to put, to place, 2. to sit down, to take a seat.

What is the past tense of 'setzen'?

hat gesetzt / setzte

What is 'setzen' related to?

The word 'setzen' is related to *sed-.

Where can I learn more about 'setzen'?

Check out the main YourDailyGerman Dictionary for more German vocabulary entries.