Dutch Waar- and Daar-Words: A Clear Guide to Pronominal Adverbs

If you have been learning Dutch for a while, you have probably encountered words such as waarmee, waarover, daarvan and daarop.

You may also have seen the same words separated:

Waar praat je over?
What are you talking about?

Daar wil ik het over hebben.
That is what I want to talk about.

Ik ben er blij mee.
I am happy with it.

These combinations are known as pronominal adverbs, or voornaamwoordelijke bijwoorden in Dutch. The grammatical name may sound complicated, but the basic idea is practical:

Dutch can combine a word such as waar, daar, er or hier with a preposition.

For example:

• waar + mee → waarmee
• daar + over → daarover
• er + op → erop
• hier + in → hierin

The two parts can remain together or appear in different places in the sentence. This article focuses mainly on waar- and daar-words, but it also explains er- and hier-, because all four belong to the same system.

Pronominal Adverbs at a Glance

First part	Basic function	Dutch example	English translation
waar-	asks about or refers to something	Waar denk je aan?	What are you thinking about?
daar-	refers emphatically to that	Daar denk ik vaak aan.	I often think about that.
er-	refers neutrally to it	Ik denk er vaak aan.	I often think about it.
hier-	refers to this	Hier ben ik blij mee.	I am happy with this.

In grammatical descriptions, er is considered a personal pronominal adverb, hier and daar are demonstrative forms, and waar can have an interrogative or relative function.

1. Why Does Dutch Use These Words?

Many Dutch verbs, adjectives and expressions are used with a fixed preposition:

• denken aan: to think about
• wachten op: to wait for
• praten over: to talk about
• houden van: to like or love
• blij zijn met: to be happy with
• bang zijn voor: to be afraid of
• zin hebben in: to feel like

When the object of the preposition is a thing, idea or situation, Dutch frequently uses a pronominal adverb.

Compare:

Ik denk aan het probleem.
I am thinking about the problem.

Ik denk eraan.
I am thinking about it.

The phrase aan het is replaced by eraan.

Another example:

Zij is blij met haar nieuwe baan.
She is happy with her new job.

Zij is er blij mee.
She is happy with it.

Dutch generally uses er + preposition instead of combinations such as preposition + het when referring back to a thing.

2. How Are Pronominal Adverbs Formed?

The basic structure is:

waar / daar / er / hier + preposition

For example:

Preposition	Waar-form	Daar-form	Er-form	Hier-form
aan	waaraan	daaraan	eraan	hieraan
bij	waarbij	daarbij	erbij	hierbij
in	waarin	daarin	erin	hierin
op	waarop	daarop	erop	hierop
over	waarover	daarover	erover	hierover
van	waarvan	daarvan	ervan	hiervan
voor	waarvoor	daarvoor	ervoor	hiervoor

When the two parts appear directly beside each other, they are normally written as one word:

waarover (correct)
*waar over (incorrect)

daarmee (correct)
*daar mee (incorrect)

erop (correct)
*er op (incorrect)

When another part of the sentence separates them, they are naturally written separately:

Waar praten jullie over?
What are you talking about?

Daar kan ik niets mee doen.
I cannot do anything with that.

Ik heb er lang op gewacht.
I waited a long time for it.

Pronominal adverbs beginning with er, hier, daar and waar are written together when their parts are adjacent. They may be split by other material in the sentence.

3. Two Important Spelling Changes

Two prepositions change form when they become part of a pronominal adverb.

Met Becomes Mee

met wat → waarmee

met dat → daarmee

met het → ermee

Examples:

Waarmee open je deze fles?
What do you use to open this bottle?

Daarmee kan ik de fles openen.
I can open the bottle with that.

Ik kan de fles ermee openen.
I can open the bottle with it.

Not:

*waarmet
*daarmet

Tot Becomes Toe

tot wat → waartoe

tot dat → daartoe

tot het → ertoe

Examples:

Waartoe dient deze knop?
What is this button for?

Deze maatregel kan daartoe bijdragen.
This measure can contribute to that.

Hij was er niet toe bereid.
He was not prepared to do it.

The forms corresponding to met and tot are mee and toe in pronominal adverbs.

4. Waar-Words in Questions

Use a waar-word to ask about a thing, idea, activity or situation connected to a preposition.

Waar denk je aan?
What are you thinking about?

Waar wacht je op?
What are you waiting for?

Waar praat je over?
What are you talking about?

Waar ben je bang voor?
What are you afraid of?

Waar heb je zin in?
What do you feel like?

Waar hou je van?
What do you like?

The preposition is determined by the Dutch expression:

• denken aan → waar … aan
• wachten op → waar … op
• praten over → waar … over
• bang zijn voor → waar … voor
• zin hebben in → waar … in
• houden van → waar … van

The best approach is therefore to learn the expression and its preposition together.

5. Together or Split in a Question?

Both of the following sentences are correct:

Waarover praten jullie?
What are you talking about?

Waar praten jullie over?
What are you talking about?

Similarly:

Waarnaar kijk je?
What are you looking at?

Waar kijk je naar?
What are you looking at?

And:

Waarvoor ben je bang?
What are you afraid of?

Waar ben je bang voor?
What are you afraid of?

The split version is extremely common in everyday Dutch. The unsplit version is often more compact and may sound somewhat more formal or written, but it is not automatically better. Splitting usually does not change the basic meaning and these forms are particularly frequent in speech, while unsplit forms occur relatively more often in writing. Unsplit forms also tend to be more common in Belgian Dutch than in Dutch from the Netherlands.

Do Not Treat This as a Strict Register Rule

It would be misleading to teach:

conversation = split
formal writing = always together

Split forms also occur in perfectly standard written Dutch:

Dit is het onderwerp waar we morgen over praten.
This is the subject we will talk about tomorrow.

And unsplit forms are normal in conversation:

Waarmee kan ik u helpen?
How can I help you?

Choose the form that fits naturally into the sentence. You do not need to keep every pronominal adverb together in formal writing or during an exam.

6. Questions About Things and People

A useful learner rule is:

thing, idea or situation → waar + preposition
person → preposition + wie

Asking About a Thing

Waarmee schrijf je?
What are you writing with?

Possible answer:

Met een pen.
With a pen.

Asking About a Person

Met wie werk je samen?
Who do you work with?

Possible answer:

Met mijn collega.
With my colleague.

More examples:

Waar denk je aan?
What are you thinking about?

Aan wie denk je?
Who are you thinking about?

Waar praat je over?
What are you talking about?

Over wie praat je?
Who are you talking about?

Is a Waar-Word for a Person Always Wrong?

No. Forms such as the following occur frequently in informal Dutch:

De collega waarmee ik samenwerk …
The colleague I work with …

De vrienden waarop ik kan rekenen …
The friends I can rely on …

These constructions are grammatical. However, many speakers still prefer met wie, op wie and similar forms when referring to people, particularly in careful or formal writing:

De collega met wie ik samenwerk …
The colleague I work with …

De vrienden op wie ik kan rekenen …
The friends I can rely on …

For learners, preposition + wie is therefore the safest general choice when the reference is a person.

7. Waar-Words in Relative Clauses

Waar-words do not occur only in questions. They can also introduce a relative clause that provides information about a previously mentioned thing.

Dit is het boek waarover ik je vertelde.
This is the book I told you about.

The part waarover ik je vertelde tells us more about het boek.

The pronominal adverb can also be split:

Dit is het boek waar ik je over vertelde.
This is the book I told you about.

Both forms are correct.

More examples:

Dat is de stoel waarop ik altijd zit.
That is the chair I always sit on.

Dat is de stoel waar ik altijd op zit.
That is the chair I always sit on.

We bespreken een probleem waarvoor nog geen oplossing bestaat.
We are discussing a problem for which no solution exists yet.

We bespreken een probleem waar nog geen oplossing voor bestaat.
We are discussing a problem for which no solution exists yet.

In these sentences, waar can often be translated as which, that or nothing at all. It does not mean where in the ordinary locational sense.

8. Daar-Words: Referring to “That”

Daar-words refer to something that has already been mentioned, is visible in the situation or is being emphasized.

Ik heb dat apparaat nog nooit gebruikt. Daarmee kun je brood bakken.
I have never used that appliance before. You can bake bread with it.

Hij stelde een nieuw plan voor. Daarover moeten we nog praten.
He proposed a new plan. We still need to talk about that.

De cursus begint volgende week. Daar kijk ik naar uit.
The course starts next week. I am looking forward to that.

Like waar-words, daar-words can be split:

Daarover moeten we nog praten.

Daar moeten we nog over praten.

We still need to talk about that.

Both sentences are correct.

Daar Often Carries Emphasis

Compare:

Ik wil er later over praten.
I want to talk about it later.

Daar wil ik later over praten.
That is what I want to talk about later.

The first sentence refers neutrally to something already known. The second places more emphasis or contrast on that particular subject.

9. Why Er Is Often More Natural Than Daar

In a neutral answer, Dutch often uses er:

Waar wacht je op?
What are you waiting for?

Ik wacht op de uitslag.
I am waiting for the result.

After the result has already been mentioned:

Ik wacht er nog op.
I am still waiting for it.

Using daar adds emphasis:

Daar wacht ik op!
That is what I am waiting for!

Another comparison:

Ik heb een nieuwe fiets. Ik ben er erg blij mee.
I have a new bicycle. I am very happy with it.

Daar ben ik erg blij mee.
That is something I am very happy with.

A practical distinction is:

• er- → neutral, unstressed it;
• daar- → more demonstrative or emphatic that.

The distinction is comparable to the difference between a personal reference and a demonstrative reference.

10. Hier-Words: Referring to “This”

Hier-words point to something close, current or immediately relevant.

Hiermee kun je de deur openen.
You can open the door with this.

Hier ben ik het niet mee eens.
I do not agree with this.

Hierover wil ik vandaag praten.
I want to talk about this today.

Hier staat belangrijke informatie in.
This contains important information.

Compare:

hiermee: with this
daarmee: with that
ermee: with it
waarmee: with what/which

Learning these four forms together makes the system much easier to recognize.

11. Word Order in Split Pronominal Adverbs

When a pronominal adverb is split, its first part generally appears relatively early in the sentence. The prepositional part appears later, often close to the final verb or verb group.

In a Question

Waar denk je vaak aan?
What do you often think about?

Waar heb je gisteren over gesproken?
What did you talk about yesterday?

In a Statement

Daar wil ik later op terugkomen.
I want to return to that later.

Ik heb er lang op gewacht.
I waited a long time for it.

In a Subordinate Clause

Dit is het onderwerp waar we morgen over zullen praten.
This is the subject we will talk about tomorrow.

Hij zegt dat hij er niet meer aan wil denken.
He says that he no longer wants to think about it.

The prepositional part of a split pronominal adverb normally appears towards the end of the clause, directly before the final verbal position.

12. Waarnaar or Waar … Naartoe?

These forms look similar but have different functions.

Waarnaar: Connected to a Verb with Naar

Use waarnaar or waar … naar when naar belongs to a verb or expression:

Waarnaar luister je?
What are you listening to?

Waar luister je naar?
What are you listening to?

Waarnaar zoek je?
What are you looking for?

Waar zoek je naar?
What are you looking for?

Waar … Naartoe: A Destination

Use waar … naartoe to ask about a destination:

Waar ga je naartoe?
Where are you going?

Waar reis je naartoe?
Where are you travelling to?

The unsplit form waarnaartoe does exist, but the split form is far more usual:

Waar ga je naartoe? (common)

Waarnaartoe ga je? (Possible for some speakers, but highly unusual.)

Waar … Vandaan: A Point of Origin

Waar kom je vandaan?
Where do you come from?

Waar heb je dat idee vandaan?
Where did you get that idea from?

The forms involving naartoe, heen, langs and vandaan show a particularly strong preference for splitting.

13. Common Combinations to Learn

Dutch expression	Question	Neutral reference
denken aan	Waar denk je aan?	Ik denk eraan.
wachten op	Waar wacht je op?	Ik wacht erop.
praten over	Waar praat je over?	Ik praat erover.
houden van	Waar hou je van?	Ik hou ervan.
blij zijn met	Waar ben je blij mee?	Ik ben er blij mee.
bang zijn voor	Waar ben je bang voor?	Ik ben er bang voor.
zin hebben in	Waar heb je zin in?	Ik heb er zin in.
zoeken naar	Waar zoek je naar?	Ik zoek ernaar.

Examples with Translations

Waar denk je aan?
What are you thinking about?

Ik denk er vaak aan.
I often think about it.

Waar wacht je op?
What are you waiting for?

Ik wacht erop.
I am waiting for it.

Waar ben je blij mee?
What are you happy with?

Ik ben er erg blij mee.
I am very happy with it.

Waar heb je zin in?
What do you feel like?

Daar heb ik zin in!
That is what I feel like!

In the final example, daar is appropriate because the speaker is emphasizing the particular option they want.

15. Is Met Wat Always Wrong?

For a simple question meaning with what?, waarmee is normally the most natural learner choice:

Waarmee open je deze fles?
What do you use to open this bottle?

However, preposition + wat is not impossible in every context.

For example:

Met wat voor gereedschap werk je?
What kind of tools do you work with?

Here, wat belongs to the larger expression wat voor gereedschap (what kind of tool).

You may also encounter met wat when wat means something rather than the interrogative what:

Je moet het met wat minder geld doen.
You will have to manage with a little less money.

The practical learner rule is therefore:

For a standalone question about a thing after a preposition, use a waar-word.

The Most Important Rules to Remember (TL;DR)

Dutch pronominal adverbs combine waar, daar, er or hier with a preposition.

Waar- Asks About or Refers to Something

Waar praat je over?
What are you talking about?

Het onderwerp waarover we praten …
The subject we are talking about …

Er- Refers Neutrally to “It”

Ik praat er liever niet over.
I would rather not talk about it.

Daar- Refers More Emphatically to “That”

Daar wil ik het over hebben.
That is what I want to talk about.

Hier- Refers to “This”

Hier ben ik blij mee.
I am happy with this.

The parts can remain together:

Waarover praten jullie?

or be split:

Waar praten jullie over?

Both are correct.

For people, preposition + wie remains the safest general choice:

Met wie praat je?
Who are you talking to?

Finally, learn verbs and expressions together with their prepositions:

• denken aan
• wachten op
• praten over
• houden van
• blij zijn met
• zin hebben in

Once you know the complete expression, choosing waaraan, waarop, waarover, waarvan, waarmee or waarin becomes much easier.

Free Dutch Waar- and Daar-Words Cheat Sheet

Would you like to keep the most important patterns close at hand?

Download the free Dutch Waar- and Daar-Words Cheat Sheet for a one-page overview of questions, references, er versus daar, splitting, spelling and common combinations.