Lægges

Lægges is the present passive form of the Danish verb lægge, meaning to lay, place, or set. It denotes that something is placed or laid down by an unspecified agent. The form is used in everyday language, manuals, signs, recipes, and news reports to state a fact about an arrangement or placement.

In modern Danish, the passive is often created with the suffix -s on the finite verb, producing forms like lægges. This synthetic passive is used for general statements and instructions, and it tends to be concise. For example, "Kagen lægges på bordet" means "The cake is placed on the table." The passive body can alternatively be formed with an auxiliary, as in "Kagen bliver lagt på bordet," which is common when emphasizing the process or a future action. The present passive lægges covers the same time frame as the English "is laid" and does not change with person; it is the subject that determines who is affected.

Etymologically, lægge derives from Old Danish lægge, tracing back to Proto-Germanic lagjaną. Cognates appear in Norwegian legge and Swedish lägga, reflecting shared Germanic roots for “to place” or “to lay.”

Common usages include placement of objects, setting items in position, and describing arrangements. Related forms include the active present lægger, the past lagde, and the past participle lagt, which appear in non-passive constructions and perfect tenses. For translators, lægges often conveys a neutral, directive tone suitable for manuals and official notices.