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The Word "Er"

Location · Quantity · Prepositional · Subject

GrammarB1
Er is / er zijn
Er + preposition (erop, ermee)
Replacing "daar" (there)
Ik heb er twee
boltKey Rule

Er is notoriously difficult because it has 4 distinct grammatical functions in Dutch. It can mean "there" (location), "of them" (quantity), it can combine with prepositions to replace "prep + it", and it serves as a dummy subject ("there is"). Master these 4 buckets, and you master er.

1. The 4 Functions of "Er"
FunctionExplanationExample
Location Unstressed form of "daar" (there) Ik woon er al drie jaar.
(I have lived there for 3 years.)
Quantity Means "of them / of it" (used with a number) Ik heb er twee.
(I have two of them.)
Prepositional Replaces a preposition + "het" (it) Ik zit erop. (op + het)
(I sit on it.)
Dummy Subject Used when introducing undefined subjects (There is...) Er staat een man bij de deur.
(There is a man at the door.)
2. Er + Preposition (Pronominal Adverbs)

In Dutch, you cannot say "met het" (with it) or "over het" (about it). Instead, "het" turns into "er", and it attaches to the front of the preposition.

Never say...Instead say... (Er + Prep)Meaning
op het erop on it
met het ermee (note: met changes to mee) with it
over het erover about it
in het erin in it
naar het ernaar to/at it
tot het ertoe (note: tot changes to toe) to it / toward it
Heb je de sleutel? Nee, ik ben ernaar aan het zoeken. Do you have the key? No, I am looking for it. (zoeken naar = ernaar)
Wat doe je ermee? What do you do with it? (met + het = ermee)