verb
to lie (be situated)
A1
liegen: Means to lie, be situated or recline (be located, yacer). It's an intransitive, not separable verb—use with no direct object (contrast with legen). Auxiliary haben forms the perfect (haben gelegen). Strong/irregular verb (Präteritum lag, Partizip II: gelegen). No reflexive use; location sense common.
Examples
Gestern lag ich zu lange in der Sonne.
Yesterday I stayed in the sun for too long.
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
The book lies on the table.
Der Brief lag auf dem Tisch, als der Hausherr nach Hause kam.
The letter lay on the table when the homeowner came home.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a book lying flat on a 'lee' (sheltered) place
sounds like 'lean' — imagine something leaning/lying down
Notes
Stative verb meaning 'to lie' (be in a horizontal position or be located). Strong irregular (lag — gelegen). Uses haben in perfect tenses. Intransitive verb; passive conjugation blocks are not applicable.