Extended Da-Compounds
Da-compounds (e.g., damit, darauf) replace prepositional phrases for things (not people) and act as 'signposts' for upcoming sub-clauses.
How It Works
1. Back-referring (Anaphoric) Use
When a verb requires a preposition (like warten auf or denken an), it is ungrammatical to use a personal pronoun like es for inanimate objects. Instead, you must combine da- with the preposition. If the preposition starts with a vowel, add an -r- (e.g., da + auf = darauf).
- Ich habe ein Auto. Ich fahre damit zur Arbeit. (I have a car. I drive to work with it.)
2. Anticipatory (Cataphoric) Use
This is the 'extended' use. When a verb requires a preposition and is followed by a dass-clause or an infinitive construction, the da-compound acts as a placeholder in the main clause.
- Ich freue mich darauf, dass du kommst. (I look forward to [the fact] that you are coming.)
3. Restrictions
- People: Never use da-compounds for people. Use preposition + pronoun instead (e.g., Ich warte auf ihn).
- Excluded Prepositions: Some prepositions like ohne, seit, außer, and gegenüber do not form da-compounds. In these cases, use the pronoun: Ich kann ohne es nicht leben.
- Genitive: Standard genitive prepositions (like trotz or wegen) do not form da-compounds. While trotzdem and deswegen function similarly as adverbs, they are technically not da-compounds.
Examples (4)
- Hast du den Hammer? Ich brauche ihn, um damit den Nagel einzuschlagen.
Do you have the hammer? I need it to drive the nail in with it.
Word by Word: Have you the hammer? I need him, in order therewith the nail in-to-hit.
'Damit' refers back to 'den Hammer'. Since a hammer is an object, we use 'damit' instead of 'mit ihm'.
- Wir warten darauf, dass der Film endlich beginnt.
We are waiting for the movie to finally start.
Word by Word: We wait there-upon, that the movie finally begins.
'Darauf' is required here because 'warten' needs the preposition 'auf', and it introduces the 'dass' clause.
- Er hat den Job gekündigt. Davon wusste ich nichts.
He quit the job. I knew nothing about that.
Word by Word: He has the job quit. There-of knew I nothing.
'Davon' refers to the entire previous idea (him quitting the job).
- Ich erinnere mich daran, dich schon einmal gesehen zu haben.
I remember having seen you once before.
Word by Word: I remember myself there-at, you already once seen to have.
'Daran' (da + an) acts as a placeholder for the following infinitive clause.
Common Mistakes
Using a personal pronoun for an inanimate object when a da-compound is possible.
Ich warte auf es.Ich warte darauf.For most prepositions, you cannot use 'es' to refer to a thing. You must use a da-compound. However, for prepositions that don't form these compounds (like 'ohne'), the pronoun is still used: 'Ich kann ohne es nicht leben'.
Using a da-compound to refer to a person.
Ich denke damit (referring to a friend).Ich denke an ihn.Da-compounds are strictly for inanimate objects or abstract ideas. For people, use the preposition + personal pronoun.
Forgetting the epenthetic -r- before vowels.
Ich freue mich daauf.Ich freue mich darauf.If the preposition starts with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), you must insert an -r- between 'da' and the preposition.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn extended da-compounds, you must first be familiar with the core set of German prepositions (dative, accusative, and two-way). These compounds function as pronominal adverbs that replace a prepositional phrase referring to an inanimate object or abstract idea, so knowing the underlying preposition's meaning is the primary requirement.
- für/durch/gegen/ohne/umAccusative Prepositions
Understanding accusative prepositions is necessary as they form the basis for compounds like 'dagegen' or 'dafür'.
Level 1 - Two-Way Prepositions
Many da-compounds (e.g., 'daran', 'darauf', 'darin') are built using two-way prepositions, requiring knowledge of their spatial meanings.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Extended Wo-Compounds
Wo-compounds are the question-word counterparts (e.g., 'Worauf wartest du?') to da-compounds.
Level 3 - Fixed Verb-Preposition Combinations
Da-compounds are almost always used with verbs that require a specific fixed preposition.
Level 3 - dassThat (Dass)
Extended da-compounds often serve as the 'bridge' to a dass-clause.
Level 2 - zu + InfinitiveInfinitive with Zu
Da-compounds are frequently used to introduce infinitive constructions.
Level 3 - mich/dich/ihnAccusative Pronouns Singular
These personal pronouns are used with prepositions when referring to people, whereas da-compounds are used for things.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Extended Da-Compounds in Bubblegum
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