Da(r)-compounds can be formed using accusative prepositions or dative prepositions, however they are not formed with genitive prepositions. The form of the da(r)-compound is not affected by the preposition type.
German Articles
‘Da(r)’ compounds: When to use and not to use them in German?
By: Babsi Cabrera Thu Jun 05 2025
In German, we often use something called da(r)-compounds to refer back to the object of a verb, when that verb marks its object with a specific preposition, like warten auf(to wait for) or denken an(to think of). In a da(r)-compound, the word da(r) acts like a pronoun and combines with the preposition:
verb + preposition
Speaker A:
Wartest du immer noch auf einen Anruf von dem Fußballverein, bei dem du dich beworben hast?
Are you still waiting for a call from the soccer club you applied for?
Speaker B:
Ja, ich warte immer noch darauf.
Yes, I am still waiting for it.
verb + preposition
Speaker A:
Arbeitet ihr in eurem Team mit der neuesten Trainingsmethode?
Are you working with the latest training methods on your team?
Speaker B:
Ja, wir arbeiten damit.
Yes, we are working with it.
However, you can’t use a da(r)-compound to refer to any such object! We only use these compounds to refer back to abstract and definite objects. These are the rough German equivalents of English words like “therefore,” “thereby,” or “therein,” but in German they are quite common and do not sound nearly as old-fashioned!
In this post, we’ll talk all about how to form da(r)-compounds with different prepositions and when you can use them in German sentences. Keep reading to find out more!
Table of Contents
How to form ‘da(r)’ compounds: When to use ‘da’ vs. ‘dar’?
All German da(r)-compounds are formed by placing da or dar before a preposition:
da / dar
preposition
But how do you choose between da and dar? There is a pretty easy formula that you can rely on:
Use da if the preposition starts with a consonantNo definition set for consonantLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
PrepositionDa-compoundnach
after
danach
für
for
dafür
Use dar if the preposition starts with a vowelNo definition set for vowelLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. This makes pronunciation easier.
PrepositionDar-compoundüber
about, over
darüber
unter
under
darunter
Important
Let’s look at some examples in sentences.
da(r)preposition
Ich habe mich noch nicht danach erkundigt.
I have not inquired about this yet.
Ja, ich bin dafür!
Yes, I’m all for that!
Nein, darüber habe ich noch nichts gelesen.
No, I have not read anything about that yet.
Das Mädchen leidet sehr darunter.
The girl is suffering very much from that.
Check out this list of all the German da(r)-compounds !
TipSound like a native!
In spoken German, especially some Southern dialects, the [a] is sometimes dropped when pronouncing a da(r) compound. So, for example, darauf would be pronounced [drauf] instead of [darauf], and darin would be pronounced [drin] instead of [darin].
Important
It is important to note that da(r)-compounds should not always be translated literally, and their translation can depend on context. Sometimes there is no preposition in the translation at all!
Speaker A:
Wie kommt ihr morgen zum Kino?
How are you getting to the movies tomorrow?
Speaker B:
Wir nehmen den Bus dahin.
We’re taking the bus there.
Furthermore, some da(r)-compounds have become “fossilized” over time and have acquired specialized meanings. Such words are often called “da words” instead of “da-compounds.”
Tip
Do you like jokes and stories? If you do, you will see the words darauf and daraufhin often, because they are a short way of expressing that somebody is replying to someone else in conversation. They can be translated to “to that” in English in the context of conversation. For example:
Herr Müller zum Chef: Chef, darf ich heute zwei Stunden früher Schluss machen? Meine Frau will mit mir einkaufen gehen.
Mr. Müller (says) to the boss: Boss, can I finish two hours early today? My wife wants to go shopping with me.
Darauf der Chef: Kommt gar nicht in Frage.
The boss responds to that: Absolutely out of the question.
Daraufhin Herr Müller: "Vielen Dank Chef, ich wusste, sie würden mich nicht im Stich lassen."
Mr. Müller says to that: Thank you, boss. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.
When to use ‘da(r)’-compounds in German?
In German, we use da(r)-compounds in the following situations:
When the object of a preposition is a pronoun referring back to a specific, non-living noun. Generally this is something abstract, not something you might call “that” in English.
Speaker A:Wartest du immer noch auf einen Anruf?
Are you still waiting for a call from the soccer club you applied for?
Speaker B:Ja, ich warte immer noch darauf.
Yes, I am still waiting for it.
→ The call is specific, but not a living thing.When the object of a preposition is a pronoun referring back to a previous clause:
Die Fußballmannschaft hat das Finale verloren und darüber ist Peter sehr traurig.
The soccer team lost the finals and Peter is very sad about that.
Words like damit(so that) or darum(that’s why) refer to another clause this way, though they have acquired a non-literal meaning over time.
Es regnet stark. Darum trainiert die Mannschaft drinnen.
It’s raining heavily. That’s why the team is having practice indoors.
Damit die Mannschaft nicht nass wird, trainiert sie heute drinnen.
So that the team doesn’t get wet they are having practice indoors today.
When to NOT use ‘da(r)’-compounds in German?
There are some prepositionsNo definition set for prepositionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. that cannot be combined with da(r) to form a compound. There are also some other cases where you cannot use these compounds. Let‘s take a look at them!
With some prepositions
Some German prepositions never form da(r)-compounds. These prepositions include:
Genitive prepositions like außerhalb(outside of), innerhalb(inside of), or während(during).
A few others, such as: außer(except), ohne(without), seit(since), gegenüber(across from, towards).
For relative pronounsNo definition set for relative pronounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or interrogative pronounsNo definition set for interrogative pronounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
You cannot use them to replace relative or interrogative pronouns. In these are cases, you should either use a plain sequence of preposition + pronoun or a wo(r)-compound (see below).
Das ist der Ball, mit dem der Stürmer das Tor geschossen hat.
That’s the ball with which the striker scored the goal.
Das, worauf ich lange gewartet hatte, ist endlich eingetroffen.
That for which I had long been waiting, has finally happened.
To replace people or animals
You cannot use da(r)-compounds to replace people or animals that are perceived to have a personality. They are only used for things you might reference as “that.” For people or animals, use prepositions and a personal pronoun.
Die Fans träumen von den neuen Spielern. → Die Fans träumen von ihnen.
The fans are dreaming of the new players. → The fans are dreaming of them.
Was macht das Mädchen mit dem Hund? → Es spielt Ball mit ihm.
What is the girl doing with the dog? → She’s playing ball with it.
Where to put ‘da(r)’-compounds in a sentence?
In German, you will mostly see da(r)-compounds at the beginning or the end of a main clauseNo definition set for main clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
Beginning of clause:
Der Fußballspieler hat einen neuen Ernährungsplan. Damit kann er gesünder essen.
The soccer player has a new nutrition plan. With it he can eat healthier.
End of clause:
Wie findest du deinen neuen Ernährungsplan? - Ich esse gesünder damit.
How do you like your new nutrition plan? - I eat healthier with it.
However, you can sometimes put them in the middle of a clause, right after the verb.
Middle of clause:
Wie gefällt dir der neue Fußball? - Ich spiele damit besser.
How do you like the new soccer ball? - I play better with it.
If they’re used in a subordinate clauseNo definition set for subordinate clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., they’re generally used at the beginning:
Beginning of a subordinate clause:
Wir schreiben einen Trainingsplan, damit wir unsere Ziele erreichen können.
We’re writing a training schedule, so that we can reach our goals.
‘Da’-compounds vs. ‘wo’-compounds
German wo(r)-compounds, formed by combining wo(r) with a preposition, are very similar to da(r)-compounds. However, wo(r)-compounds are only used when an interrogative pronounNo definition set for interrogative pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or relative pronounNo definition set for relative pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. follows a preposition:
wo(r)
interrogative / relative
preposition
Worüber hast du dich denn so aufgeregt?
What were you so upset about?
Woher weißt du, dass der Schiedsrichter Unrecht hatte?
How (lit. Where from) do you know that the referee was wrong?
You can read more about these wo(r)-compounds in our articles on German interrogatives and German relative pronouns.
‘Da’-compounds vs. ‘hier’-compounds
There is a third preposition compound that works the same way as wo(r) and da(r)compounds, formed by combining hier- with a preposition. These act mostly as adverbs in German, and you’ll probably do best to learn them just as dictionary words. Some examples include hierzu(hereto), hierauf(subsequently), or hiermit(with that).
hier
(keeps the r!)
preposition
Hiermit beenden wir unser Training für die Weltmeisterschaft.
And with that we’re finishing our training for the world cup.
Wir wollen gewinnen. Hierzu brauchen wir viel Ausdauer und Teamgeist!
We want to win. For that we need lots of stamina and team spirit!
Hier-compounds are the German equivalent of “here-” compounds like “hereto” or “hereupon” in old-fashioned English!
Summary
In today’s article, we talked about…
Da(r)-compounds are formed by combining da- with a preposition. Add an r between the two if the preposition begins with a vowel.
Use da(r)-compounds to when a preposition comes before a pronoun that refers back to an inanimate noun (non-human, non-animal).
Do not use da(r)-compounds if the object of the preposition is a human, an animal, a relative pronoun, or an interrogative pronoun. There are also some prepositions that cannot be used in these compounds.
Da(r)-compounds mainly come at the beginning or end of the clause, but they can come after the verb.
And now, head on over to da(r)-compound activities to get in some practice, or review our da(r)-compound reference sheet to start memorizing!
