Prepositional adverbs and question words (darauf/worauf)
Präpositionaladverbien und Fragewörter (darauf/worauf)
Use da(r)-/wo(r)- + to refer to or ask about things, not people.
Structure
da(r)- + Präposition (darauf, damit) für Sachen; wo(r)- + Präposition (worauf, womit) als Frage
da(r)- + preposition (darauf, damit) for things; wo(r)- + preposition (worauf, womit) as a question
Details
- Part of Speech
- Pronoun
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
When a with a fixed refers to a thing (not a person), German does not say " + es/das". Instead it forms a single word:
- da(r)- + preposition to refer back: darauf, damit, davon, darüber, daran …
- wo(r)- + preposition to ask a question: worauf, womit, wovon, worüber, woran …
An -r- is inserted when the begins with a vowel: da + r + auf → darauf, wo + r + über → worüber.
Examples:
- Worauf wartest du? - Ich warte darauf. - What are you waiting for? - I'm waiting for it.
- Womit fährst du? - Ich fahre damit (mit dem Bus). - What are you travelling with? - With it (the bus).
- Worüber sprecht ihr? - What are you talking about?
Common mistakes. These da-/wo-forms are only for things and ideas. For people you keep the full preposition + pronoun/question word: Auf wen wartest du? - Ich warte auf ihn (not darauf). A frequent error is saying auf was? instead of worauf? in standard German, or forgetting the linking -r- (daauf instead of darauf).
About Prepositional adverbs and question words (darauf/worauf)
Use da(r)-/wo(r)- + to refer to or ask about things, not people.
Replace ' + thing' with da(r)- + preposition (darauf, damit, worüber) and ask with wo(r)- + preposition (worauf, womit). The -r- appears before vowels.
Mit da(r)-/wo(r)- + verweist man auf Sachen oder fragt danach.
Caution
Insert -r- before a vowel: darauf, worüber, woran. For people you keep preposition + pronoun ('auf wen?', 'mit ihm'); da-/wo-forms are only for things.