Where Er Goes

Level 3

In the Dutch 'middle field' (the space between the conjugated verb and the rest of the verbs), er is a 'light' word that likes to sit as far to the left as possible, though it must yield to subject pronouns.

How It Works

The Dutch middle field is the area between the first verb (V1) and the final verb cluster. The particle er is unstressed and its position is strictly regulated:

  • After Pronouns: Er follows both subject pronouns (ik, je, hij) and unstressed object pronouns (me, je, hem, het). Example: Ik zag hem er gisteren.
  • Definite vs. Indefinite Nouns: If the subject is definite (a name or a noun with de/het), er follows it. If the subject is indefinite (with een or a number), er precedes it. Example: De man liep er vs. Er liep een man.
  • Usual 'Er': In Dutch, you usually use er when a sentence starts with an indefinite subject to avoid beginning with 'Een...'.
  • Before Adverbs: Er almost always precedes adverbs of time, manner, and negation (niet). Example: Ik heb er niet over nagedacht.
  • Splitting: When used in a pronominal adverb, the preposition often moves to the end of the middle field while er stays at the beginning.

Examples (5)

  1. Ik ben er gisteren geweest.

    I was there yesterday.

    Word by Word: I am there yesterday been.

    Here, 'er' is locative. It follows the subject pronoun 'ik' and precedes the time adverb 'gisteren'.

  2. Er lopen drie katten in de tuin.

    There are three cats walking in the garden.

    Word by Word: There walk three cats in the garden.

    This is the expletive 'er'. It starts the sentence to introduce the indefinite subject 'drie katten'.

  3. Ik heb er gisteren drie gekocht.

    I bought three of them yesterday.

    Word by Word: I have of-them yesterday three bought.

    This is the quantitative 'er'. It follows the pronoun 'ik' and precedes the time adverb and the number.

  4. Hij heeft er lang op gewacht.

    He waited for it for a long time.

    Word by Word: He has there long on waited.

    This shows a split pronominal adverb. 'Er' stays early, while 'op' is pushed later by the adverb 'lang'.

  5. Gisteren zijn er veel mensen gekomen.

    Yesterday many people came.

    Word by Word: Yesterday are there many people come.

    Because the subject 'veel mensen' is a noun phrase, 'er' comes before it after the inversion.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 'er' at the very end of the sentence.

    Ik ben geweest er.
    Ik ben er geweest.

    Unlike the English 'there', the Dutch 'er' is unstressed and cannot sit at the end of a sentence if there is a past participle or infinitive.

  • Placing 'er' after a negation word like 'niet'.

    Ik heb niet er drie.
    Ik heb er niet drie.

    'Er' is 'lighter' than negation and must come before 'niet' in the middle field.

  • Forgetting 'er' in quantitative sentences.

    Ik heb drie.
    Ik heb er drie.

    In Dutch, you cannot just say 'I have three' if the noun is omitted; you must use 'er' to represent 'of them'.

How It Connects

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Where Er GoesLevel 3

Learn This First

To learn the placement of 'er', you first need to understand its different functions (like the dummy subject 'er is') and how Dutch sentences are structured into zones, specifically the 'middle field' between the conjugated verb and the rest of the verb cluster.

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