Pronominaladverbien (Pronominal Adverbs) in German

Pronominaladverbs are combinations of “wo-“ or “da-“ with a preposition. They are used to replace prepositional phrases, making sentences shorter and more fluent.

Formation of Pronominaladverbien

Pronominaladverbs are formed by combining:

• “wo-“ (for questions) or “da-“ (for statements)
• A preposition

Common Prepositions and Their Forms

Rule: If the preposition starts with a vowel (e.g., “über,” “in,” “auf”), an “r” is inserted between “wo-” or “da-” and the preposition (e.g., worüber, worin, worauf).

Pronominaladverbien in Questions

Pronominaladverbs are often used in questions without persons (when referring to things, actions, or abstract concepts).

Questions about Things (No Persons)

If the question refers to a thing or an abstract concept, we use “wo-” + preposition.

Examples:

Womit schreibst du?
What are you writing with?
Ich schreibe mit einem Bleistift. / Ich schreibe damit.
I am writing with a pencil. / I am writing with that.

Worüber sprichst du?
What are you talking about?
Ich spreche über das Wetter. / Ich spreche darüber.
I am talking about the weather. / I am talking about that.

Worauf wartest du?
What are you waiting for?
Ich warte auf den Bus. / Ich warte darauf.
I am waiting for the bus. / I am waiting for that.

Questions about Persons

If the question refers to a person, we cannot use wo-. Instead, we use a normal question word (e.g., “Wer?” / “Mit wem?”).

Examples:

Mit wem schreibst du?
With whom are you writing?
Ich schreibe mit meinem Freund.
I am writing to my friend.

Über wen sprichst du?
About whom are you talking?
Ich spreche über meinen Chef.
I am talking about my boss.

Auf wen wartest du?
Whom are you waiting for?
Ich warte auf meine Freundin.
I am waiting for my girlfriend.

Rule: Use wo- + preposition for things, but preposition + wen/wem for persons!

Pronominaladverbien in Statements (da- + Preposition)

In answers or statements, da- + preposition is used to refer back to something previously mentioned.

Sentences Referring to Things (No Persons)

Ich interessiere mich für Geschichte. → Ich interessiere mich dafür.
I am interested in history. → I am interested in that.

Ich freue mich auf das Wochenende. → Ich freue mich darauf.
I am looking forward to the weekend. → I am looking forward to that.

Er denkt an seine Zukunft. → Er denkt daran.
He is thinking about his future. → He is thinking about that. 

Sentences Referring to Persons

If referring to a person, “da-” cannot be used. Instead, we use a personal pronoun with a preposition.

Ich interessiere mich für meine Freundin. → Ich interessiere mich für sie.
I am interested in my girlfriend. → I am interested in her.

Er denkt an seinen Vater. → Er denkt an ihn.
He is thinking about his father. → He is thinking about him.

Ich freue mich auf meinen Lehrer. → Ich freue mich auf ihn.
I am looking forward to my teacher. → I am looking forward to him.

Pronominaladverbien in Sentences (Examples with and without Persons)

Sentences Without Persons (Things, Abstract Concepts)

Sentences With Persons

Differences:

• Things → wo- (in questions) & da- (in statements)
• Persons → preposition + wen/wem (in questions) & preposition + personal pronoun (in statements)

Pronominaladverbien II: Usage with Subordinate Clauses and Infinitive Clauses

Pronominaladverbs (da- + preposition) can be combined with subordinate clauses (Nebensätze) and infinitive clauses (Infinitivsätze). The way they are used depends on whether the subjects in the main clause and subordinate clause are the same or different.

Combining Pronominaladverbs with Subordinate Clauses (Nebensätze)

With “dass” Clauses

• When referring to an entire clause, pronominaladverbs are combined with “dass” (that).
• This happens when a verb requires a prepositional object (e.g., sich freuen auf, sich erinnern an, denken an, etc.).

Examples:

sich freuen auf → Ich freue mich darauf, dass ich morgen meine Mutter sehe.
I am looking forward to the fact that I will see my mother tomorrow.

es kommt an auf → Es kommt darauf an, dass wir genug Zeit haben.
It depends on the fact that we have enough time.

achten auf → Ich achte darauf, dass mein Kind gesund isst.
I pay attention to the fact that my child eats healthily.

Rule: Use “darauf, dass” when the subordinate clause explains what exactly the pronominaladverb refers to.

With “W-Wörter” (Indirect Questions)

Instead of “dass”, we can also use indirect question words like wann, wo, wie, warum, ob, wohin, etc.

Examples:

sich unterhalten über → Wir unterhalten uns darüber, wann wir uns treffen.
We are talking about when we will meet.

es kommt an auf → Es kommt darauf an, wie lange der Film dauert.
It depends on how long the movie lasts.

denken an → Er denkt daran, wohin er am Wochenende fährt.
He is thinking about where he will go on the weekend.

sprechen über → Wir sprechen darüber, ob wir heute ins Kino gehen.
We are talking about whether we are going to the cinema today.

Rule: Use “darüber, wann/wie/ob…” when the subordinate clause provides additional information in the form of an indirect question.

Combining Pronominaladverbs with Infinitive Clauses (Infinitivsätze)

When the subject in the main clause and the subordinate clause is the same, we often prefer an infinitive clause with zu instead of a “dass” clause.

When the Subject is the Same

Instead of “darauf, dass + Nebensatz“, we can use “darauf + zu + Infinitiv“.

Examples:

sich freuen auf → Ich freue mich darauf, morgen meine Mutter zu sehen.
I am looking forward to seeing my mother tomorrow.

es kommt an auf → Es kommt darauf an, die richtige Entscheidung zu treffen.
It depends on making the right decision.

hoffen auf → Ich hoffe darauf, bald Urlaub zu haben.
I am hoping to have a vacation soon.

Rule: If the subject stays the same, we can form an infinitive clause with “zu” instead of a full subordinate clause.

When the Subject is Different

If the subject of the main clause and the subordinate clause is different, we cannot use an infinitive construction. Instead, we must use a “dass” clause.

Examples:  

sich freuen auf →

• Ich freue mich darauf, morgen meine Mutter zu sehen. (Same subject → Infinitivsatz possible!)
• Sie freut sich darauf, dass ihr Sohn sie bald besuchen kommt. (Different subjects → Only “dass” possible!)

es kommt an auf →

• Es kommt darauf an, genügend zu lernen. (Same subject → Infinitivsatz possible!)
• Es kommt darauf an, dass du genügend lernst. (Different subjects → “dass” necessary!)

Rule: If the subject changes, we must use a “dass” clause instead of an infinitive.