er (voornaamwoordelijk)

Er + Preposition

Level 3

In Dutch, you cannot say 'met het' (with it) or 'op het' (on it). Instead, you must use a pronominal adverb: er + the preposition (e.g., ermee, erop).

How It Works

This pattern is mandatory in Dutch grammar for referring to inanimate objects. It belongs to the 'R-pronoun' family, meaning the same rules apply to hier (hiermee), daar (daarmee), and waar (waarmee).

1. The Replacement Rule
When a preposition is followed by a pronoun referring to a thing (like het or ze), Dutch replaces the pronoun with er and moves it to the front of the preposition. This construction is used for both singular and plural inanimate objects.
Example: op + het/ze becomes erop.

2. Spelling and Irregular Changes
When er and the preposition are next to each other, they are written as one word. Most prepositions, such as van, aan, in, and op, do not change their spelling. However, note these specific changes:

  • met becomes mee (ermee)
  • tot becomes toe (ertoe)
  • naar becomes naartoe (ernaartoe) ONLY when indicating a destination or direction. In other cases, like 'kijken naar' (to look at), it remains ernaar.

3. Obligatory Splitting
In the middle field of a sentence, splitting er and the preposition is obligatory if other words like adverbs, time expressions, or negation (niet) intervene.
Example: Ik reken er niet op. (I don't count on it.)

4. People vs. Things (and Animals)
This pattern is for things. For people, use the object pronoun (e.g., met hem). For animals, you can use either: object pronouns are common for pets/individuals, while er-forms are used for animals in a general sense.

5. Exceptions
Not all prepositions can form this combination. Prepositions like tijdens, sinds, volgens, and via never combine with er.

Examples (5)

  1. Ik denk eraan.

    I am thinking about it.

    Word by Word: I think there-on.

    The verb 'denken aan' (think about) requires 'er' + 'aan' to refer to a situation or object.

  2. Hij is ermee gestopt.

    He has stopped with it.

    Word by Word: He is there-with stopped.

    Notice that 'met' changes to 'mee' when combined with 'er'.

  3. We hebben er lang over gepraat.

    We talked about it for a long time.

    Word by Word: We have there long over talked.

    This shows how 'er' and 'over' split when other information (lang) is added to the sentence.

  4. Ik reken er niet op.

    I am not counting on it.

    Word by Word: I count there not on.

    The negation 'niet' splits the pronominal adverb 'erop'.

  5. Zit er suiker in? Ja, er zit veel suiker in.

    Is there sugar in it? Yes, there is a lot of sugar in it.

    Word by Word: Sits there sugar in? Yes, there sits much sugar in.

    Here, 'erin' refers to the contents of a container or food item.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'met het' or 'op het' for inanimate objects.

    Ik ben blij met het.
    Ik ben er blij mee.

    Dutch grammar forbids using 'het' after a preposition when referring to a thing; you must use the 'er' + preposition construction.

  • Using 'erop' for a person.

    Different MeaningIk wacht erop.
    Ik wacht op hem.

    'Ik wacht erop' is correct, but 'erop' stands for a thing or a fact: waiting for it. For a person, use the preposition and the pronoun: 'op hem'.

  • Forgetting to split 'er' and the preposition.

    Ik kijk ernaar niet.
    Ik kijk er niet naar.

    Words like 'niet' must come between 'er' and the preposition.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

er (voornaamwoordelijk)Level 3Er + Preposition

Learn This First

To understand 'er + preposition', you first need to know how object pronouns work, as this construction replaces them for things. You also need a solid grasp of common prepositions and the concept of pronominal adverbs (like 'daarin' or 'hierop') which follow the same pattern.

Words in This Pattern