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Disambiguation: Many common Dutch words have more than one meaning.

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

Daar

click to hear
  1. (over) there, in that spot - "there's a mailbox over there!"
  2. (with preposition) that - "I had not thought of that"
  3. (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! click to hear Over there is a mailbox!
Daar is de uitgang! click to hear Over there is the exit
De uitgang is daar click to hear The exit is over there
Dat huis daar click to hear That house (over) there
Die auto daar click to hear That car (over) there - see also: 'This' and 'That'
Daar ben je! click to hear 2 (Ah!) There you are! (Now I see you, I found you)
Hé jij daar click to hear Hey you! (not a friendly form of address, limited use)
Daar ga je! click to hear 2 3 There you go! - a toast *
Hier en daar click to hear Here and there
Hier is 't warm, daar is 't koud click to hear Here it's warm, over there it's cold
Daar is de Engelse schroevendraaier gebruikt click to hear 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' click to hear 'there' is 'hier' click to hear 2 'here.'
Deze auto hier click to hear This car here
Hier is de ingang click to hear Over here is the entrance
't Is hier erg warm click to hear It's very hot (in) here
Wie heeft er hier de leiding? click to hear Who is in charge here?
Hier ziet men de gevolgen click to hear 2 3 4 Here you see the consequences
Hier is alvast 'n voorschot click to hear 2 Here is already a prepayment, an advance payment
Hier hoort men goed Nederlands click to hear Here you (can) hear good Dutch
Hier zijn veel schepen vergaan click to hear 2 Here, in this area many ships were wrecked
We wonen nog maar kort hier click to hear 2 We've only been living here for a short time
Hierheen! click to hear 2 3 (Come) this way!

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

With a preposition, placeholder 'it' is translated as 'er' click to hear ->> - in similar use, the more pointed 'that' is translated as daar click to hear
Daar weet ik niks van click to hear 2 I know nothing about that, I don't know anything about that
Ik weet er niks van click to hear 2 I know nothing about it, I don't know anything about it
Daar had ik niet aan gedacht click to hear 2 3 I had not thought of that
Daar had je aan moeten denken click to hear 2 (3 4) You should have thought of that
Daar kun je je geen buil aan vallen click to hear (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! click to hear 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 click to hear 2 3 4 That's of use to nobody, that's not of use to anybody
Daar zit wat in click to hear 2 3 There is something in there -or usually: There is something to that, it's a good point
Brood - daar zit wat in click to hear 2 Bread - there's something (good) in that (a commercial slogan) - more 'bread'
Daar moet je mee oppassen click to hear 2 3 You have to be careful with that, it could be dangerous
Daar moet je mee ophouden click to hear 2 You should stop doing that / Stop that!
Maar als ik heel snel praat, daar heeft niemand wat aan click to hear 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? click to hear 2 3 4 What could be the advantage of that?
Daarna ben jij aan de beurt click to hear 2 3 After that it's your turn
Daar heb ik niet over nagedacht click to hear 2 I have not thought about that, I didn't think about that
Waarom? Daarom! click to hear Why? Because (of that)!   ‑>>
Wat heb je daarop te zeggen? click to hear 2 What do you have to say on that? What's your reaction/answer to that?
daarentegen click to hear 2 3 [and against it] on the other hand
Ben je daar zeker van? click to hear 2 3 4 Are you sure (of that)? Are you certain?
Daar krijg je last van click to hear 2 3 That's going to bother you, that's going to cause you trouble
Daar weet ik niks van click to hear 2 I know nothing about that
Daar houd ik niet van click to hear 2 3 4 I don't like that
Daar was ik al bang voor click to hear 2 I was already afraid of that, I was already afraid that was going to happen
Daar heb ik geen tijd voor click to hear 2 I don't have time for that
Daar ben ik te oud voor click to hear 2 I'm too old for that
Daar heb ik een mannetje voor click to hear 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 click to hear 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 ..." click to hear 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' click to hear

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

'Because' ('for') can also be translated as 'want' click to hear 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 click to hear 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 click to hear ... because Man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go about in the streets ->>
Ze bleven een week in Delft ... click to hear They stayed in Delft for a week ...
... want er was zoveel te zien click to hear 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 click to hear 2 3 There is no proof
... omdat er geen bewijs is click to hear 2 3 ... because there is no proof
Daar er geen bewijs is ... click to hear 2 3 Because there is no proof ...
... want er is geen bewijs click to hear 2 slow ... because there is no proof

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

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

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

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

(de) oorzaak click to hear cause / (het) gevolg click to hear effect ‑>>

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


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