When do you use stellen and tun in German?

Answer 1

Tun generally means to do - was tust Du? - what are you doing?

It can, however be translated as put when combined with rein or hin (reintun - put in; hintun - put). When it is used in the sense of put, it is interchangeable with other verbs such as setzen, stellen, etc. - tue es da rein - put it in there - stelle es da rein. The use of tun in these contexts to mean put is colloquial.

Stellen can be translated as put, place, lay, set, stand, apprehend, make -

Stelle es in die Ecke - put/place/lay/set/stand it in the corner.

Die Polizei hat den Räuber gestellt - Police apprehended the robber.

Einen Antrag stellen - to make an application.

Answer 2

"Stellen" is used in German to mean "to place" or "to set," while "tun" is a more general verb that can mean "to do," "to make," or "to put." "Stellen" is typically used when physically placing or arranging objects, while "tun" is a more versatile verb used for various actions and activities.