German Phrase
Der Plan steht auf den Bildschirmen.
Meaning
The sentence means that the plan is currently visible on the screens. It is often used in technical or business settings where a project plan, map, or schedule is projected or displayed on multiple monitors.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone where a plan can be seen – for example in a conference room, a control centre, or a classroom where several screens show the same information.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DerPlanstehtaufdenBildschirmen
Definite article (Der)
‘Der’ is the masculine nominative singular definite article, used here because ‘Plan’ is masculine.
Verb ‘stehen’ (location)
‘stehen’ can mean ‘to be positioned/displayed’ when combined with the preposition ‘auf’ + dative.
Preposition ‘auf’ + dative
When ‘auf’ indicates a static location, it governs the dative case; therefore ‘den Bildschirmen’ (dative plural).
Dative plural article ‘den’
In the dative plural, the masculine/neuter article changes from ‘die’ to ‘den’ and the noun receives an –n ending if it doesn’t already have one.
Plural noun ‘Bildschirme’ → ‘Bildschirmen’
‘Bildschirm’ (screen/monitor) plural is ‘Bildschirme’; in the dative plural it becomes ‘Bildschirmen’.
🗨In Conversation
Wo können wir den neuen Projektplan sehen?
Where can we see the new project plan?
Der Plan steht auf den Bildschirmen.
The plan is on the screens.
✕Common Mistakes
Der Plan steht auf die Bildschirme.
‘auf’ with a static location requires dative, not accusative.
Der Plan steht auf dem Bildschirmen.
‘dem’ is singular dative; the noun is plural, so the correct article is ‘den’.
Der Plan ist auf den Bildschirmen.
While grammatically correct, using ‘steht’ emphasizes that the plan is displayed, which is the idiomatic choice in technical contexts.
Der Plan steht auf den Bildschirm.
Singular changes the meaning to ‘on the (single) screen’, not the intended multiple screens.
↔Alternatives
Der Plan ist auf den Bildschirmen zu sehen.
The plan can be seen on the screens.
Der Plan wird auf den Bildschirmen angezeigt.
The plan is displayed on the screens.
Der Plan erscheint auf den Bildschirmen.
The plan appears on the screens.
Cultural Tip
In German technical language, ‘stehen’ is frequently used to describe something that is shown on a screen or board (e.g., ‘Die Anzeige steht auf dem Bildschirm’). It sounds slightly more formal than ‘ist zu sehen’, so it fits well in business meetings or presentations. Remember that ‘Bildschirm’ can refer to any flat display – TV, computer monitor, or projection screen.