naar

To

Level 1

The preposition naar is the standard Dutch word for 'to' when you are moving toward a specific place or goal.

How It Works

The preposition naar is one of the most common words in Dutch. Its primary job is to show direction.

1. Physical Movement
When you are traveling or moving toward a destination, use naar. While prepositions like in or op can also show movement (e.g., walking into a room), naar is the most general way to indicate your destination.
Example: Ik ga naar de winkel. (I am going to the store.)

2. The Special Case of 'Home'
One of the most frequent uses is 'going home.' In Dutch, this is simply naar huis. Note that you do not use an article like 'de' or 'het' here.

3. Fixed Expressions and Senses
Some verbs regularly pair with naar, even if physical movement isn't obvious:

  • Luisteren naar (To listen to)
  • Kijken naar (To look at)
  • Zoeken naar (To look for)

It is also used for sensory descriptions like ruiken naar (to smell like) or smaken naar (to taste like).

4. Named After
When a person or thing is named after someone else, Dutch uses naar. For example: Hij is genoemd naar zijn vader. (He is named after his father.)

5. According to
You can use naar to mean 'according to.' While Naar mijn mening... (In my opinion) is formal, you will also see it in common phrases like naar mijn idee (in my view). In daily speech, people usually use volgens mij.

6. Naar ... toe
Dutch often uses naar together with toe at the end of the phrase to emphasize the direction. This is called a circumposition. For example: Ik ga naar het park toe. When the destination is implied or mentioned earlier, you use ernaartoe.

Did you know?
Outside of its use as a preposition, naar can also be an adjective meaning 'unpleasant' or 'unwell.' For example: Ik voel me een beetje naar. (I feel a bit unwell.)

Examples (6)

  1. Ik ga naar Amsterdam.

    I am going to Amsterdam.

    Word by Word: I go to Amsterdam.

    A standard use of 'naar' to show movement toward a city.

  2. Zij loopt naar huis.

    She is walking home.

    Word by Word: She walks to house.

    In the expression 'naar huis', no article is used.

  3. Wij luisteren naar de radio.

    We are listening to the radio.

    Word by Word: We listen to the radio.

    'Luisteren naar' is a fixed combination in Dutch.

  4. Het ruikt hier naar bloemen.

    It smells like flowers here.

    Word by Word: It smells here to flowers.

    Dutch uses 'naar' with sensory verbs like 'ruiken' (to smell) to describe what something smells like.

  5. Hij is genoemd naar zijn opa.

    He is named after his grandfather.

    Word by Word: He is named to his grandpa.

    When someone is named after another person, Dutch uses 'naar'.

  6. Ik ga naar de stad toe.

    I am going to the city.

    Word by Word: I go to the city to.

    Using 'naar' and 'toe' together as a circumposition is very common in spoken Dutch.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'naar' (direction) with 'na' (time).

    Ik ga na de stad.
    Ik ga naar de stad.

    'Na' means 'after' (e.g., after 5 o'clock). For direction, you must use 'naar'.

  • Using 'naar' for time instead of 'voor'.

    Het is tien naar vijf.
    Het is tien voor vijf.

    English speakers often try to use 'naar' for 'to' when telling time. In Dutch, you must use voor (before) to indicate minutes before the hour.

  • Saying 'naar thuis' instead of 'naar huis'.

    Ik ga naar thuis.
    Ik ga naar huis.

    'Thuis' means 'at home' (location). 'Naar huis' means 'to home' (direction).

How It Connects

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naarLevel 1To

Learn This First

To use 'naar' correctly, you need to understand how Dutch nouns work with their articles (de/het) and where to place a directional phrase in a basic sentence.

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