These verbs are all translated as "to be" in certain cases. When an
object is in an upright position, staan is used. When an object is lying
down, liggen is used. When an object is inside of something else, zitten
is used.

De auto staat voor het huis. The car is in front of the
house.
De krant ligt op de grond. The newspaper is on the floor.
De pen zit in de tas. The pen is in the bag.

This article was used with permission from:
Indo-European Languages