German Da-Words (Da-Compounds) Explained

Da-words like darauf, davon and damit look confusing, but they follow one simple rule. In this lesson, Luzi from YourGermanTeacher shows you how da-compounds (Präpositionaladverbien) and the matching wo-question words work, with real-life example dialogues. The topic is usually taught at the end of A2.

Things and People

German makes a difference between Sachen (things) and Menschen (people). Da-words are only used for things. Both groups are used with verbs that come with a fixed preposition, such as träumen von (to dream of), warten auf (to wait for) and sprechen über (to talk about).

Things: wo-Question and da-Answer

The question word is wo + preposition and the da-word is da + preposition, always written as one word.

Example dialogue: Wovon träumst du? - Ich träume von einem Haus. - Davon träume ich auch. The da-word refers to information from before, like it or that in English. It needs context: you cannot use davon without something that was mentioned earlier.

More examples: Worauf wartest du? - Ich warte auf mein Ergebnis. - Darauf warte ich auch. And Worüber spricht der Lehrer? - Er spricht über den Dativ. - Darüber hat er gestern schon gesprochen.

People: Preposition + wem/wen and Pronoun

For people, you do not use a da-word. The question is preposition + wem/wen (two words, separate) and the answer is preposition + pronoun. The case comes from the preposition.

Da-Words in Normal Sentences

You do not need a question first. A da-word can stand alone in a statement and refers to the whole sentence before: Ich habe viel Stress bei der Arbeit. Manchmal ärgere ich mich darüber. Or: Ich habe die Prüfung nicht bestanden. Damit habe ich nicht gerechnet. This is much shorter than repeating the whole information.

Bonus Tip: The Fugen-r

If the preposition starts with a vowel (a, e, o and so on), German inserts an r after wo and da. It is only there for pronunciation.

Da-Words with Reflexive Verbs

Many reflexive verbs come with prepositions, so da-words are common with them. With things: Worauf freust du dich? - Ich freue mich auf den Urlaub. - Darauf freue ich mich auch. With people: Auf wen freust du dich so? - Ich freue mich auf Mark. Homework: write a sentence with denken an or sich interessieren für, using a da-word.

What to Learn Next

Learn the verbs that need these prepositions in 18 German Verbs with Prepositions for A2, and practise the reflexive ones in All A1 German Reflexive Verbs with Prepositions. The overview lesson German Verbs with Prepositions is also a good next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a German da-word?

A da-word is da plus a preposition, such as darauf, davon or damit. It refers to information mentioned before, like it or that in English, so you do not have to repeat it.

How do I form the question with wo?

Use wo plus the preposition of the verb, in one word: träumen von becomes wovon, warten auf becomes worauf, sprechen über becomes worüber.

Why is there an r in darauf and worauf?

When the preposition starts with a vowel, German adds a linking r between wo/da and the preposition to make it easier to pronounce: daran, worauf, darüber.

Can I use da-words for people?

No. Da-words are only for things. For people, use a preposition plus wem or wen for questions and a preposition plus a pronoun for answers: Auf wen wartest du? Ich warte auf ihn.

Can I use a da-word without a question?

Yes. It can stand alone and refer to the previous sentence: Ich habe die Prüfung nicht bestanden. Damit habe ich nicht gerechnet.

Get all these grammar topics in a clear order with the A2 German online course from YourGermanTeacher.