naar aanleiding van
Following/Regarding
Use naar aanleiding van to explain what prompted or triggered a specific reaction, such as writing a letter or starting an investigation.
How It Works
The expression naar aanleiding van is a fixed multi-word prepositional phrase (voorzetseluitdrukking). It is primarily used in formal, professional, or administrative contexts.
1. Function and Meaning
It identifies the 'aanleiding'—the immediate occasion or catalyst for an event. While vanwege or doordat focus on the underlying cause, naar aanleiding van focuses on the specific event that made you decide to act now. For example, a job vacancy is the aanleiding for writing a letter, even if your need for money is the oorzaak (cause).
2. Usage and Register
- Formal Correspondence: It is the most common way to open a business email or letter (e.g., 'Following our conversation...').
- Abbreviation: In professional notes and internal communication, it is frequently abbreviated as n.a.v. (e.g., n.a.v. uw mail).
- Media and Reports: Used to link police actions or government decisions to specific incidents.
- Grammar: It normally precedes a noun phrase. To follow it with a clause starting with dat, use the placeholder het feit dat. However, style guides often suggest replacing this wordy construction with omdat or doordat to improve readability.
3. Style Note
In casual speech, this phrase can sound overly stiff or 'bureaucratic.' In everyday conversation, Dutch speakers prefer over (about) or na (after).
Examples (4)
- Naar aanleiding van uw advertentie schrijf ik u deze brief.
Following your advertisement, I am writing you this letter.
Word by Word: To occasion of your advertisement write I you this letter.
This is the classic formal opening for a job application or business inquiry.
- De politie startte een onderzoek naar aanleiding van de tips.
The police started an investigation prompted by the tips.
Word by Word: The police started an investigation to occasion of the tips.
Here, the tips are the specific trigger that caused the investigation to begin.
- Naar aanleiding van het incident zijn de regels aangepast.
Following the incident, the rules have been adjusted.
Word by Word: To occasion of the incident are the rules adjusted.
The incident served as the catalyst for the change in regulations.
- Ik bel u naar aanleiding van ons gesprek van gisteren.
I am calling you regarding our conversation from yesterday.
Word by Word: I call you to occasion of our conversation of yesterday.
A common professional way to reference a previous interaction.
Common Mistakes
Writing 'na aanleiding van' instead of 'naar aanleiding van'.
Na aanleiding van uw brief...Naar aanleiding van uw brief...This is a very common spelling error. 'Na' means 'after' (time), but the fixed expression requires 'naar' (direction/reference).
Using it for physical cause-and-effect.
De ruit brak naar aanleiding van de steen.De ruit brak door de steen.Do not use this phrase for simple physical causes. It should only be used when a human or organizational reaction is involved.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The pattern 'naar aanleiding van' is a fixed prepositional phrase used primarily in formal writing. To understand it, a learner needs to be familiar with the basic prepositions 'naar' and 'van' which frame the expression, as well as formal pronouns like 'uw' since the phrase is most commonly encountered in business or official contexts (e.g., 'Following your letter').
- naarTo
The phrase is built using the preposition 'naar' (to/towards) as its initial component.
Level 1 - vanOf/From
The phrase is built using the preposition 'van' (of/from) as its final component.
Level 1 - uwYour (Formal)
This pattern is frequently used in formal correspondence, making knowledge of the formal possessive pronoun 'uw' essential for practical application.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- vanwegeBecause of
Both indicate a reason, but 'vanwege' is a general 'because of', while 'naar aanleiding van' is a specific 'prompted by'.
Level 4 - naAfter
Learners often confuse these; 'na' is purely temporal (after), while 'naar aanleiding van' implies a logical connection.
Level 1 - volgensAccording to
Both are formal prepositions; 'volgens' means 'according to', whereas 'naar aanleiding van' means 'prompted by'.
Level 2 - het ... datHet as a Placeholder for a Clause
This placeholder is required if you want to follow 'naar aanleiding van' with a full clause instead of just a noun.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice naar aanleiding van in Bubblegum
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