stellen

Stellen is a German verb meaning to place, to put, or to set. It is used transitively to indicate placing something somewhere, as in Ich stelle die Gläser auf den Tisch. It also appears in phrases that convey posing or presenting something, such as Ich stelle mir eine Frage (I ask myself a question) or Die Lehrerin stellt den Schülern eine Aufgabe (the teacher assigns a task). The verb forms a wide family of compound verbs with prefixes, which can change meaning significantly.

As a noun, Stelle is common in two main senses. Die Stelle can denote a specific location or position, such as a job, post, or assignment (eine neue Stelle suchen, die Stelle im Unternehmen). The plural Stellen is then used for multiple positions or locations, for example Stellenanzeigen (job advertisements). The phrase an der Stelle means “at that location,” and Arbeitsstelle or Arbeitsplatz refers to one’s workplace or job.

Usage and grammar notes. Stellen is a weak/regular verb, with the simple past and past participle forms werden gestellt in compounds: ich habe gestellt, ich stellte. It also participates in separable-prefix verbs, where the prefix may detach in conjugation, as in aufstellen (to set up) or vorstellen (to introduce). The breadth of its meanings makes stellen a common base for many everyday expressions related to placement, creation, or presentation in German.

Etymology. The verb is of Germanic origin and cognate with related forms in other West Germanic languages, reflecting the core concept of placing or setting. The noun Stelle similarly traces to the same root.