Disambiguation: Dutch 'Daar' - Multiple Meanings and Related Words

Daar	(over) there, in that spot - "there's a mailbox over there!" (with preposition) that - "I had not thought of that" (old fashioned, bookish) because - "because the negotiations failed"

'Daar' is mostly a more specific, more pointed form of 'er' which can mean 'there' and 'it' - see also the 'Er' disambiguation page.

1. daar = (over) there		hier = here

2. daar = that (placeholder - with preposition)

3. daar = because (old-fashioned)		omdat = because		want = because, for

1. 'daar' = '(over) there'

Daar is een brievenbus!	Over there is a mailbox!
Daar is de uitgang!	Over there is the exit
De uitgang is daar	The exit is over there
Dat huis daar	That house (over) there
Die auto daar	That car (over) there - see also: 'This' and 'That'
Daar ben je! 2	(Ah!) There you are! (Now I see you, I found you)
Hé jij daar	Hey you! (not a friendly form of address, limited use)
Daar ga je! 2 3	There you go! - a toast *
Hier en daar	Here and there
Hier is 't warm, daar is 't koud	Here it's warm, over there it's cold
Daar is de Engelse schroevendraaier gebruikt	In that spot ['the English screwdriver was used'] a screw was hammered in

As I said, compare with 'Er'

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

Of course, the opposite of 'daar'

'there' is 'hier'

2 'here.'

Deze auto hier	This car here
Hier is de ingang	Over here is the entrance
't Is hier erg warm	It's very hot (in) here
Wie heeft er hier de leiding?	Who is in charge here?
Hier ziet men de gevolgen 2 3 4	Here you see the consequences
Hier is alvast 'n voorschot 2	Here is already a prepayment, an advance payment
Hier hoort men goed Nederlands	Here you (can) hear good Dutch
Hier zijn veel schepen vergaan 2	Here, in this area many ships were wrecked
We wonen nog maar kort hier 2	We've only been living here for a short time
Hierheen! 2 3	(Come) this way!

2. 'daar' = placeholder 'that' (with preposition)

With a preposition, placeholder 'it' is translated as 'er'

->> - in similar use, the more pointed 'that' is translated as daar

Daar weet ik niks van 2	I know nothing about that, I don't know anything about that
Ik weet er niks van 2	I know nothing about it, I don't know anything about it

Daar had ik niet aan gedacht 2 3	I had not thought of that
Daar had je aan moeten denken 2 (3 4)	You should have thought of that
Daar kun je je geen buil aan vallen	(expression) 'You won't fall and get a bump of that' (said when someone is deliberating for a long time about a small expense)
Kom daar nou nog eens om! 2	['Come for that nowadays again'] - It's not possible to find something like that anymore - an item (or an attitude) that went out of fashion
Daar heeft niemand wat aan 2 3 4	That's of use to nobody, that's not of use to anybody
Daar zit wat in 2 3	There is something in there -or usually: There is something to that, it's a good point
Brood - daar zit wat in 2	Bread - there's something (good) in that (a commercial slogan) - more 'bread'

Daar moet je mee oppassen 2 3	You have to be careful with that, it could be dangerous
Daar moet je mee ophouden 2	You should stop doing that / Stop that!
Maar als ik heel snel praat, daar heeft niemand wat aan very slow ->>	But when I talk very fast, [that's of use to no-one] that's not useful to anyone
Wat zou daar het voordeel van zijn? 2 3 4	What could be the advantage of that?
Daarna ben jij aan de beurt 2 3	After that it's your turn
Daar heb ik niet over nagedacht 2	I have not thought about that, I didn't think about that
Waarom? Daarom!	Why? Because (of that)! ‑>>
Wat heb je daarop te zeggen? 2	What do you have to say on that? What's your reaction/answer to that?
daarentegen 2 3	[and against it] on the other hand

Ben je daar zeker van? 2 3 4	Are you sure (of that)? Are you certain?
Daar krijg je last van 2 3	That's going to bother you, that's going to cause you trouble
Daar weet ik niks van 2	I know nothing about that
Daar houd ik niet van 2 3 4	I don't like that
Daar was ik al bang voor 2	I was already afraid of that, I was already afraid that was going to happen
Daar heb ik geen tijd voor 2	I don't have time for that
Daar ben ik te oud voor 2	I'm too old for that
Daar heb ik een mannetje voor 2 3 4	(jocular) I (have) know a guy for that (special job)

Also compare with the similar 'Er' for 'it' and 'Waar' for 'what' and see Common Problems with Dutch

3. 'daar' = 'because' (bookish, old-fashioned)

Daar de verwachte groei uitbleef, werd de fabriek weer gesloten 2	Because the expected growth didn't materialize the factory was closed (again)
Aan de grens lette iemand op wie vertrok. "Heer, daar ik zie dat U weggaat, bid ik U: schrijf een boek voor mij ..."	At the border, an attendant watched who was leaving. 'Lord, as I see that you're leaving, I pray: Please write a book for me ...'

'Daar' in the sense of 'because' is a bit old-fashioned, formal and bookish, like English 'as.' The common word for 'because' is 'omdat'

Omdat er zoveel te zien was	Because there was so much to see
Omdat ik Nederlands ben	Because I am Dutch
Hij was blij omdat 't mooi weer was	He was happy because the weather was nice
Ik was kwaad omdat ik weer voor m'n rijexamen gezakt was 2	I was angry because I had failed the driving test again
Omdat ik het niet verstond 2	Because I didn't understand (it) - could not hear what was said
Omdat ik het niet begreep 2 3	Because I didn't understand (it) - the how or why, the idea
Omdat ik het zeg 2 3 4	Because I say [it] so (an authoritarian statement)
Omdat het niet anders kan 2 3	[Because it can't be (done) differently] - Because there is no other way

'Because' ('for') can also be translated as 'want' 2 but only at the start of a subsentence giving a reason, usually halfway a sentence.

Ik eet geen witlof meer want het is te duur 2	I don't eat Belgian endives anymore because [it's] they're too expensive
... want de mens gaat naar z'n eeuwig huis en de rouwklagers gaan rond op de straat	... because Man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go about in the streets ->>

Ze bleven een week in Delft ...	They stayed in Delft for a week ...
... want er was zoveel te zien 2	... because there was so much to see

Note the word order changes in the sub-sentence after 'daar' and 'omdat:' object and complement are placed between subject and verb ->> and compound verbs re-attach ->> - but 'want' does not change the word order.

Er is geen bewijs 2 3	There is no proof
... omdat er geen bewijs is 2 3	... because there is no proof
Daar er geen bewijs is ... 2 3	Because there is no proof ...
... want er is geen bewijs 2 slow	... because there is no proof

'Wegens' 2 is 'because of, due to'

Wegens omstandigheden gesloten 2 3	Closed because of circumstances
Wegens verbouwing gesloten 2 3	Closed due to remodeling

'Daarom' 2 can be translated as 'because of that, that's why'

Waarom? Daarom!	Why? [That's why!] Because!
... en daarom ben ik weggegaan 2 3	.. and that's why I left
... en daarom wil ik geen elektrische fiets 2 3	... and because of that I don't want an electric bicycle

(de) oorzaak cause / (het) gevolg effect ‑>>

The Dutch noun (de) want 2 is the 'mitt,' a glove without separate fingers. Plural: wanten
The English noun 'want' can be
(de) behoefte ('need') ‑>>
or (het) gebrek aan ('lack of') ‑>> - see also: False Friends

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