übereinander

Übereinander is a German adverbial expression meaning one item placed on top of another, i.e., arranged vertically. It describes the relative position of objects in a stack or layered display and is commonly used with verbs of positioning or arranging, such as legen, stapeln, and stehen.

The term is formed from über, meaning over, and einander, meaning each other. In this sense, übereinander conveys that one object lies over or above another. It is typically used without changing form for different subjects or numbers.

Usage and examples:

Die Bücher lagen übereinander. The books were stacked on top of each other.

Sie stapelten die Pakete übereinander. They stacked the packages on top of one another.

Die Teller standen übereinander im Regal. The dishes stood stacked on the shelf.

In everyday language, übereinander often contrasts with nebeneinander, which describes horizontal side-by-side arrangement. The expression can appear in both literal descriptions of physical arrangement and, more rarely, in figurative contexts that convey layering or overlapping of elements.

Summary:

Übereinander denotes vertical stacking or alignment, combining über and einander to express “over one another.” It is a common, invariable adverbial phrase used with various verbs to describe how items are positioned one above the other.