Disambiguation: Dutch 'Er' - Multiple Meanings and Related Words

Er

/or/

a less specific 'there' - "We're almost there"
there is / there are ... - pointing out something, stating a fact - "There are no mountains in Holland"
(with preposition) placeholder 'it' - "I didn't think of it"
a somewhat meaningless, hard-to-translate interjection -

In the 'there' and 'it' meanings, 'Er' is a less specific, less pointed 'daar' ('there') and 'dat' ('that') - see also 'daar' and 'dat' disambiguation pages.
English 'there is' / 'there are' mean the same as Dutch 'er is' 2 / 'er zijn' 2 and they are used in the same contexts; likewise, English 'it is' is equivalent to Dutch 'het is' but it may not be that simple in other languages. I think 'there is / there are' is used in statements about presence or existence, while 'it is' is used in more general 'abstract' statements ('It's raining.')
I noticed one of my students often said things like "Ik denk aan het." - It made me realize that in Dutch we say 'er' for that 'it' - when a preposition is involved. It's an important difference between Dutch and English.
I have to admit the divisions between the categories in this entry are fluid.

1. er = in this/that place (~'there')		daar = there

2. er is, er zijn there is, there are

3. er = it (placeholder - with preposition)		d'r = er		exception

	ergens = somewhere/something, nergens = nowhere/nothing		exception 2

4. er - 'pragmatic marker,' somewhat meaningless interjection

1. 'er' = 'there,' 'around' - in this/that place

We zijn er bijna 2	We're almost there
We zijn er 2 3	[We are 'there'] We have arrived at our (travel) destination
Ik ben er niet bekend 2 3	I'm not familiar with that area, I don't know my way around there
wat er staat 2 3	what is written there, "what it says"
Begrijp je echt wat er staat? 2	Do you really understand what is written there, "what it says"
Ik ben er weer! 2 3	[I'm here again] - I'm back
Mooi dat je er weer bent 2 3 4	[Beautiful] Good that you're here again, good to have you back
Ik kan er helaas niet zelf bij zijn	Unfortunately, I cannot be there myself, in person
Als ik er niet ben ...	If I'm not here, in case that I'm not present ...
Als ik er niet meer ben ... 2 3	When I'm no longer around, when I'm gone (dead) ...

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

hier en daar	here and there	- more 'daar' and 'hier'
De uitgang is daar	The exit is (over) there
Dat huis daar	That house (over) there

2. 'er is / er zijn' = 'there is / there are' (and other verbs) - introducing statements

There is an English 'there' very similar to this Dutch 'er'

- the 'existential there,' also known as 'nonreferential there'

Er is beneden ook een slaapkamer	There's also a bedroom downstairs
Er is boven een atelier 2	There's an artist's studio upstairs
Er is een koude wind 2	There's a cold wind
Is er genoeg brood? 2 3	Is there enough bread?
Is er niet meer geld? 2 3	Is there not more money? Is that all the money there is?
Er is aardig wat sneeuw 2 3 4	There is quite a lot of snow
Is er enige kans? 2 3	Is there any chance?
Er is genoeg eten 2 3	There is enough food
Er is genoeg voor iedereen 2 3	There is enough for everybody
Er is genoeg tijd	There is enough time
Er moet nog zoveel gebeuren 2 3	There is still so much that has to [happen] be done
Er moet nog zoveel gedaan worden 2	There is still so much that needs to be done
Er is duidelijk vooruitgang 2	There is clearly, noticeable progress
Er is iemand aan de deur	There is someone at the door
Er is iets mis 2 3	There's something wrong, something is wrong
Er is een heleboel mis 2 3	There are lots of things wrong
Er ging iets helemaal mis 2 3 4 5	Something went completely wrong
Er is nog veel papier 2	There is still a lot of paper
Er is geen reden tot paniek 2 3	There is no reason to panic
Er is geen enkel bewijs 2	There is [not any] not a shred of evidence
Morgen is er weer een dag 2 3 4 5	Tomorrow there's [again a day] another day
Ik zag op het nieuws dat er geen oplossing gevonden is	I saw on the news that no solution has been found
Ik wou dat er een betere manier was	I wish there was a better way (to do something)
't Beste dat er tot nog toe is	The best there is up till now
Er is tot nog toe geen beter alternatief 2 3	There is up till now no better alternative

Er zijn geen bergen in Nederland	There are no mountains in Holland
Er zijn binnenkort verkiezingen 2	There will be elections soon
Er zijn weinig getuigen	There are few witnesses
Er zijn mensen die zeggen dat ... 2	There are people who say that ...
Stel je voor dat er geen auto's waren! 2	Imagine that there were no cars!
Stel je voor dat er geen auto's zouden zijn! 2	Imagine that there would be no cars!
Alsof er geen grotere problemen in de wereld zijn	As if there are no bigger problems in the world
Er is niks veranderd	Nothing has changed
Er is helemaal niks veranderd 2	Nothing at all has changed, absolutely nothing has changed
Er waren veel klachten	There were many complaints
Er was weinig animo voor 2 3	There was little enthusiasm (for it)
Er wordt gebeld 2	['There is a ringing'] - the doorbell is rung
Er werd veel gesproken over vrijheid 2	There was much [talking done] talk about freedom
Er stonden een paar mensen in de rij voor het loket	There [stood] were a few people in line at the counter
Er moet nog hard gewerkt ~~worden~~	There still needs to be done (a lot of) hard work, It still needs a lot of hard work
Er komt onweer	There's a storm coming, there will be a thunderstorm
Er dreigt oorlog 2 3 4	[There is a threat of war] There might be a war, unfortunately
Er klopt iets niet 2 3	Something is wrong, it doesn't add up
Er zit niks anders op 2 3	There is nothing else that can be done, there is just one thing to be done
Er zit een muis op zolder 2 3	There's a mouse in the attic
Er zit een gat in 't dak 2	There's a hole in the roof
Er staat veel op het spel	There is much [in play] at stake
Er loopt een kat in de tuin 2	There's a cat in the yard
Er verdwijnt geld 2	Money is disappearing
er slecht aan toe zijn 2 3	to be in bad shape medically
Hij is er slecht aan toe 2 3 4	He's in bad shape, he's not doing well
Mochten er ... 2	In case that, if there are ...
Mochten er vragen zijn ...	In case that, if there are questions ...
Mochten er problemen zijn ... 2	In case that, if there are problems ...
Er zou veel schade zijn	It was said there was great damage
Er zouden geen overlevenden zijn 2	Unconfirmed reports said there were no survivors
(In the last two lines, zou 2 and zouden, the 'past tense' of the verb for the future tense zullen indicate uncertainty in the statement - more)

3. 'er' (with preposition) = 'it'

English 'it' can be a 'placeholder' - indicating something implied or mentioned before. The Dutch version of this 'placeholder' is usually 'het'

2 3 or the shortened " 't "

‑>> - but when the placeholder is combined with a preposition Dutch often says 'er'

and not 'het.'

Ik zie 't 2 3	I see it
Ik kijk er naar 2 3 4	I'm looking at it
'Ik kijk naar het'	is not good Dutch
Ik heb ervan gehoord 2 3	I've heard of it
'Ik heb van het gehoord'	is not good Dutch

The preposition may form one word with 'er' but doesn't have to.
Dutch and English may leave out the 'er'/'it' - in different sentences
The correct use of the prepositions is one of the great problems of learning a foreign language. You might want to look at my page on the basic meaning of the Dutch prepositions.

AAN	(in these examples) about; to; of
Je moet er wat aan doen 2 3 4	You should do something about it
Er is toch niks aan te doen 2 3	Nothing can be done about it anyway
Ik kan er niks aan doen	[I can't do anything about it] - I can't help it /or/ It's not my fault
"Die achterop doet er niks aan" 2 3	The one in back is not [doing anything] helping (said to tandem drivers)
Ik moet er niet aan denken 2	I try not to think about it, I don't want to think about it
Ik denk er vaak aan 2 3	I often think of it
Ik vind er niks aan	['I find nothing in it'] - I don't like it (it's not interesting)
Ik heb er niks aan 2 3 4 5	It's not of use to me
Er komt geen eind aan 2	There is no end to it (it goes on and on)
Je kunt er geen touw aan vastknopen 2	'You cannot attach a rope to it' - it's unintelligible - Sayings
Je hebt er een hoop werk aan 2 3	['You have a lot of work on? it'] - It's a lot of work for you
Er zit een luchtje aan 2	['There's a funny smell to it'] - It's suspicious - Sayings
Denk eraan dat de zomertijd dit weekend ingaat	[Think of it] Keep in mind, don't forget that the Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend
Ben je eraan gehecht? 2	Are you attached to it? Is it (an object) important to you?

ACHTER	(in these examples) behind
't huis erachter 2	the house behind it

BOVEN 2	(in these examples) above, over
de laag erboven 2	the layer above, the layer on top of it

BIJ	(in these examples) to; at; in; close by
Ik kan er niet bij 2 3	[I cannot reach to it] It's beyond me
Hou je hoofd erbij 2 3 4	Keep your head at it - pay attention, stay focused
Een ei hoort erbij	An egg belongs to it, should go with it (advertising slogan)
't Past er goed bij 2	It fits in well, goes together well (said of food, clothes or furniture)
Er is haast bij 2 3 4	[There is urgency to it] - It's urgent
Er is geen haast bij 2	[There is no urgency to it] - It's not urgent, no rush
Heeft U er postzegels bij? 2 3	Do you have (sell) stamps with it?
Ik stond erbij en ik keek ernaar 2 3	I was standing close by (it) and I was looking at it

IN 2	(in these examples) in, with
Geloof jij erin? 2 3	Do you believe (in) it?
Ik heb er zin in 2	I feel like it, I'm looking forward to it
Er zit wat in 2 3 4 5	literally: there's something in it, it contains something - or figuratively: there's something to it, there's a good idea in it, there's some truth in it
Er zit geen schot in 2 3	There is no progress (with it)
Ik heb er geen vertrouwen in 2 3	I'm not confident it will go well

MEE	(in these examples) about, with
Ben je er blij mee? 2 3	Are you happy with it? Does it make you happy?
Ik loop er elke dag mee 2 3	I walk with it every day, I use it for walking every day
Als 't niet vanzelf overgaat, ga ik ermee naar de dokter	It it doesn't go away by itself, I'll go see a doctor about it
Hou er onmiddelijk mee op! 2 3	Stop it right away!
Je bent er maar druk mee 2 3	You are rather busy with it, It keeps you busy, it takes a lot of your time
Ik wil er niks mee te maken hebben 2 3	I don't want to have anything to do with it, I don't want to be involved in it
Veel succes ermee 2 4	Good luck with it
Weg ermee! 2	Away with it! Out with it! Throw it out!

NA	(in these examples) after, about
het boek erna 2	The book after it, the next book
Hij heeft er een uur over zitten nadenken 2 3	He's been thinking about it for an hour
Hij heeft er een uur over zitten na te denken 2	He's been thinking about it for an hour

NAAR	(in these examples) at, for
Kijk er eens goed naar 2 3	Look sharp at it, take a moment to inspect it closely
Ik hoop er gauw naar te kunnen kijken 2 3	I hope to [be able to] have a look at it soon
Hij gooit er met de pet naar 2 3	'He is throwing his cap at it' - he doesn't make a serious effort - Sayings
Hij had er wel oren naar 2 3	'He sure had ears for it' - he'd like to join in (an activity) - Sayings

NAAST 2	(in these examples) next to
de auto ernaast 2	the car next to it

OM	(in these examples) around, for
Ze vroegen erom 2 3	They asked for it
Ik heb er niet om gevraagd 2 3	I didn't ask for it (either an item or a situation you were not looking for)
Je kunt er niet omheen 2 3	['You can't pass around it'] You can't ignore it, you'll have to deal withit

ONDER	(in these examples) below, under
de verdieping eronder 2	the floor below it
't kan er net onderdoor 2 3	It can just (barely) pass through below it

OP	(in these examples) of, (out,) on, to
Ik ben er trots op 2 3	I'm proud of it
Ik heb je er al vaak op gewezen 2 3 4	I've pointed it out to you many times already
Je kunt erop rekenen 2	You can count on it
Doe er een postzegel op 2 3	Put a (mail) stamp on it
Hij let er niet op 2	He doesn't pay attention to it
Ik heb er geen antwoord op 2 3 4 5	I don't have an answer to it, I don't have an adequate response to it

OVER 2	(in these examples) about, on, over
Ik wil er nog even over nadenken 2 3	I would like to think about it for a little while longer
Hij dacht er niet lang over na 2 3 4	He didn't take long to think about it
Hij heeft er niet lang over nagedacht 2	He has not taken long to think about it
Hij heeft 't er vaak over 2 3	He often talks about it
Ik heb er niet goed over nagedacht 2 3 4	I didn't think it out well
Ik wil er nog een nachtje over slapen 2	I would like to sleep on it (take decision tomorrow)
Hij laat er geen gras over groeien 2 3	He doesn't let grass grow over it - taking quick action
Er zijn weinig boeken over	There are (only a) few books about it *
Automatisch, zonder erover na te denken 2	Automatically, without thinking (about it)
Ben je er overheen? 2	Did you get over it? (Have you recovered? Is it no longer a problem?)

TEGEN	(in these examples) against
Ik kan er niet meer tegen 2 3	I can't stand (against, up to) it anymore
Er is geen enkel bezwaar tegen 2	There is not any objection against it (go ahead)
Er is niks op tegen 2	There is nothing against it (go ahead)

TEGENOVER	(in these examples) opposite, across
't huis ertegenover 2 3 4	The house opposite it, on the other side of the street
't huis schuin ertegenover 2	The house diagonally across

TUSSEN	(in these examples) between, among
't huis ertussenin 2 3	the house in between (them)

VAN 2	(in these examples) of, about, from
Ik werd er ziek van 2	I got sick of it, it made me ill (literally or figuratively)
Ik word er ziek van 2	I get sick of it, it makes me ill (literally or figuratively)
Ik word er doodmoe van 2	I get dead-tired of it
Ik krijg er hoofdpijn van 2	[I get a headache from it] It gives me a headache
Ik krijg er last van 2 3	It's going to bother me, it will make me sick
Ik word er misselijk van 2 3 4	[I become nauseous of it] It makes me nauseous, it gives me nausea
Ik werd er helemaal naar van	It made me feel horrible (an event or fear made me feel sick)
Je zult er geen spijt van krijgen 2	You won't regret it
Wat hebben we ervan geleerd? 2	What have we learned from it? What did it teach us?
Wat heb je ervan geleerd? 2 3	What have you learned from it? What did it teach you?
Ik weet ervan 2	I know about it, I'm familiar with the situation
Ik weet er alles van 2	I know all (everything) about it (usually not a boast about great learning but indicating you're familiar with an unpleasant situation)
Ik weet er niks van 2	I know nothing about it
Er is mij niets van bekend 2	[Nothing is known to me about it] - I know nothing about it
Hij weet er meer van 2	He knows more about it
Hij lust er wel pap van 2	[He would like porridge of it] - He likes it very much - Sayings
Je merkt er niks van 2 3	You won't notice (it)
Ik word er gek van	[I'm being driven crazy by it] - It is driving me crazy
Ik geloof er niks van 2 3	[I believe nothing of it] - I don't believe a word of it
Komt er nog wat van? 2	[Is something coming about?] - Is something happening, is there any progress - get busy!
Ik krijg er genoeg van 2	[I'm getting enough of it] - I'm getting tired of it
Ik heb er genoeg van 2	I've had enough of it - I've had it, I' m tired of it
Er bleef niks van over 2	Nothing was left of it
Wat is er van waar? 2 3 4	What (part) of it is true?

VOOR 2	(in these examples) for, before
Ik heb er geen tijd voor 2	Ik don't have time for it
Er is geen tijd voor 2	There is no time for it
Als er tijd voor is 2 3 4	If there is time (for it)
Ben je er klaar voor? 2 3	Are you ready (prepared) for it?
Er is geen plaats voor 2 3	There is no room for it
Er is geen goede reden voor 2 3	There is no [good] valid reason for it
Er was weinig animo voor 2 3	There was little enthusiasm for it (to get involved)
Heeft U er postzegels voor?	Do you have (sell) stamps for it?
Is er geen Nederlands woord voor? 2 3	Is there no Dutch word for it?
Is er een ander woord voor? 2	Is there another word for it?
Ik heb er geen woorden voor 2 3	I have no words for it, I'm speechless from emotion
de sonate ervoor 2	the sonata before, the earlier sonata
Je staat er alleen voor 2	You're facing it by yourself, you're on your own

When one word ends with a vowel and the next word starts with a vowel, Dutchmen sometimes insert a D between those vowels for ease of pronunciation. Inserting a letter takes less effort than a 'vocal stop.'
With 'er' this results in " d'r " 2 3 - note the vowel changing from 'short E' to 'voiceless, unstressed E (schwa)'
In this section, like elsewhere on the website, I'm showing the common speech " d'r " - but usually it is written as 'er.'

Exception

Ik trek me er niks van aan 2	I'm not bothered by it, I don't care
Ik trek me d'r niks van aan 2 3	I'm not bothered by it, I don't care

Wat heb je eraan? 2 3	[What do you have of it] - What's the use (of it) (to you)?
Wat heb je d'r aan? 2	[What do you have of it] - What's the use (of it) (to you)?

Wat zegt U ervan? 2	What do you say (of/about it)? (polite, formal 'you')
Wat zegt U d'rvan? 2 3 4	What do you say (of/about it)? (polite, formal 'you')

Wat zeg jij d'r van? 2 3	What do you say (of it)? (informal 'you')
Wat denk jij d'r van? 2	What do you think (of it)?
Neem je d'r iets voor? 2	Do you take something for (against) it? (medication)

Ik hoop dat je d'r tijd voor hebt 2 3 4	I hope you'll have time for it
Heb je d'r wat van geleerd? 2	What have you learned of it? What did it teach you?
Heb je d'r last van? 2 3	Does it bother you?
Heb je d'r wat aan? 2	Is it of (any) use to you, is it useful to you?
Heb je er wat aan? 2 3 4 5	Is it of (any) use to you, is it useful to you?
De stekker d'r uit trekken 2	Pulling the plug (from it) - make an end to it
Ik kan me d'r zo kwaad over maken 2	I get so angered by it, it makes me very angry
Je kunt je d'r geen buil aan vallen	It won't hurt you (it's a small payment) - Sayings
Hoe kom je d'r bij! 2	[How did you reach that conclusion?] - What you're saying is outrageous
Tasje d'r bij? 2 3 4 5	(Would you like) a bag with it? (cashier asking)
Weg d'r mee! 2 3	Away with it! Throw it out!

Similar to this 'er' (and "d'r") for placeholder 'it' with a preposition, Dutch has 'daar' for 'that' and 'waar' for 'what' placeholders with prepositions. See also common problems

Later I thought up these lines ...
Kom er niet aan! 2	Don't touch it!
Raak het niet aan! 2	Don't touch it!
... and I wondered why the second line has 'het' despite the presence of a preposition. I now think it's because aanraken 2 'to touch' is a compound verb. Unfortunately, the rule is not 100% valid, because 'aankomen' 2 (to touch) is also a compound verb. You can assume that when the preposition is 'independent' 'het' is replaced by 'er' - but there are a few compound verbs that also take 'er'. Thinking up other lines of compound verbs with prepositions gave the same 'het' instead of 'er' result. Note that some compound verbs split up in the present tenses.
aanvoelen 2 3	'to sense,' to notice non-verbally, intuitively
Ik voel het aan 2 3	I have an intuitive understanding of it
optillen	to lift
Til het niet op! 2	Don't lift it
Ik kan 't niet optillen 2 3 4	I can't lift it, I'm not able to lift it up
Laat 't niet achter! 2 3 4	Don't leave it behing! (garbage, for instance)

Je moet 't niet onderschatten 2 3	Don't underestimate it!
Ze laten 't afweten 2	They're not coming (despite promises)

aangeven 2	1. 'to hand, pass,' put something into someone else's hands 2. 'to indicate, signal, mark' 3. 'to register,' file an official report.
Geef 't aan 2 3	1. Hand it to me 2. Mark it, indicate it 3. Report it to the police

achterhalen 2	1. to retrieve, discover, find out 2. to overtake
Hij heeft 't achterhaald 2 3 4	He was able to retrieve it (hidden, hard-to-find information)

geven 2 3 aan	to give (to)
Geef eraan! 2 3	Give, donate to it
nakijken 2 3	1. teacher grading homework 2. to look up, check
Ik kijk 't na 2 3	1. I'm grading it (students' homework) 2. I'm looking it up, checking it
aankijken 2 3 4	1. wait-and-see 2. looking a person in the eye ‑>>
Ik kijk 't even aan 2 3	I'll wait and see, I'll keep track of how the situation develops, I'm not taking action right away
kijken naar 2 3	to look at
Ik kijk er naar 2 3 4	I'm looking at it

another exception example: afblijven 2 3 4	stay away from, do not touch, do not take
Blijf eraf! 2 3	Stay away from it, do not touch it
Blijf er vanaf! 2 3	Stay away from it, do not touch it
Je moet er afblijven 2 3	You have to stay away from it, do not touch it
Je moet er vanaf blijven 2 3	You have to stay away from it, do not touch it

(Opinions differ on what should be written as one word above, 'er vanaf' or 'ervan af' - I put the space where I pause a moment, a 'vocal stop.')

So when the preposition is part of a compound verb, one word in the infinitive, even though that verb may split up in the simple tenses, then placeholders 'het,' 2 3 or 't 'it' are used instead of 'er,' 'it,' - just as if there was no preposition. (Though there are a few exceptions.)
In case that there is a second preposition next to the one of the compound verb the placeholder will again be 'er.'

Trek 't je niet aan 2 3 4 Don't get upset over it, don't pay attention to it, don't let it bother you
't because compound verb aantrekken 2 3 Ik trek me er niks van aan 2 3 4 It doesn't bother me, I dont't pay attention ot it, I don't care
Compound verb aantrekken but also an 'independent' preposition, 'van' so 'er' Trek je er niks van aan 2 Don't pay attention ot it, don't let it bother you, don't get upset over it - more aantrekken

ergens - 1. somewhere 2. something / nergens - 1. nowhere 2. nothing

'Ergens'

2 usually means 'somewhere' and 'nergens'

2 usually means 'nowhere'
Note that Dutch usually says verb-nothing where English says not-verb-anything - for instance:
Ik kan 't nergens vinden

2
[I can find it nowhere] - I can't find it anywhere

Er moet ergens een lek zijn	There has to be a leak somewhere
Zullen we ergens gaan eten? 2	Shall we go eat (lunch, dinner) somewhere? (i.e. in a restaurant)
Ik heb ergens gelezen dat ... 2 (3)	I read somewhere that ...
Hij woont ergens achteraf 2 3	He lives [somewhere remote] in the countryside
Hij heeft ergens wel gelijk 2 3 4	He is partly right, he's correct in some aspects
Ik kan 't nergens vinden 2	[I can find it nowhere] - I can't find it anywhere
Er is nergens beter brood 2 3	There is no better bread anywhere
Er is nergens betere chocola 2 3	There is no better chocolate anywhere
Ik voel me nergens thuis 2 3	[I feel nowhere at home] I don't feel at home anywhere
Je kunt nergens beter Nederlands horen 2	There is no place where you can hear better Dutch - You can't hear better Dutch anywhere

Above we've seen 'er' replacing (or not) 'placeholder' 'het' 2 3 when used with 'independent' prepostions, prepositions that are not part of a compound verb. In English, both translate as 'it.'
In a similar way, 'Ergens' 2 which usually means 'somewhere' and 'nergens' 2 which usually means 'nowhere' can come to mean 'something' and 'nothing' / 'not anything' when used with 'independent' prepositions. Otherwise, 'something' is iets ‑>> or wat ‑>> and 'nothing' is 'niks' ‑>> or the slightly more formal 'niets' ‑>> ...

Exception 2
ergens aan toe zijn	"ready for, needing something" - said when people are not happy or feel they cannot continue much longer in the present situation and are looking forward to a specific change ‑>>
ergens iets aan doen 2 3	something to do something about something, to take action to remedy ‑>>
ergens iets aan hebben 2 3	something is useful, you can use it ‑>>
ergens iets bij doen 2	adding something to something
iets ergens bij doen 2 3	adding something to something
ergens achter komen 2	[to come, get behind something] - to find out [about something] ‑>>
ergens op aandringen 2	to urge, press for something
ergens vanaf zijn 2 3	be done with something, be rid of something, no longer bothered by something ‑>>
Als ik ergens vanaf zou willen zijn zijn het die migraines 2 3 4 If there is [something] one thing I'd like to be rid of it's those migraines
More colloquial than the line above is: Als ik ergens vanaf zou willen zijn het die migraines 2 3 If there is [something] one thing I'd like to be rid of it's those migraines
Als ik ergens een hekel aan heb is het aan leugens 2 3 If there is [something] one thing that I hate it is lies
Als ik ergens een hekel aan heb is het aan mensen die liegen 2 If there is [something] one thing that I hate it is people that tell lies
Ik moet me altijd ergens aan vasthouden 2 3 4	I need to hold on to something (a fixed point) at all times

Ik heb nergens tijd voor 2 3	[I have time for nothing] - I don't have time for anything
Ik heb nergens spijt van 2 3 4 5	[I regret nothing] - There is nothing that I regret (je ne regrette rien)
't Lijkt nergens op 2	[It looks like nothing] It doesn't look good, it's a bad job
't Slaat nergens op 2 3	[It hits nothing] - It's a (usually unpleasant) pointless remark, it has nothing to do with the matter at hand
Ik sta nergens meer van te kijken 2	Nothing surprises me anymore
Dat was nergens voor nodig 2	["That was necessary for nothing"] - there was no need for that (criticism of or regret for an action)
Dat is nergens goed voor 2 3 4	[That's good for nothing] - That's useless, that serves no purpose
Hij weet nergens van 2 3	He knows nothing about it (a case)
Hij gelooft nergens in 2 3	He doesn't believe in anything
Hij is nergens bang voor 2 3	He's not afraid of anything
Ik heb nergens zin in 2 3	I don't feel like doing (or eating) anything
Hij let nergens op 2 3	He doesn't pay attention to anything, he is not very attentive
Hij is nergens vòòr 2 3 4	He is not in favor of anything, he is against everything
Het leidt nergens toe 2 3 4 5	[It leads nowhere] Nothing comes of it, it's useless
Appearing with an 'independent preposititon,' 'overal' 2 means 'everything' (it usually means 'everywhere' ‑>>)
Hij is overal tegen 2	He is against everything, He is not in favor of anything
Hij weet overal van 2	He knows everything (about a certain case)
Hij weet overal wat van 2 3 4 5	He knows something (a little) of everything (Renaissance person?)
Hij had overal aan gedacht 2 3 4	He had thought of everything (he was well-prepared)

Like the exception with the placeholder 'het' not changing to 'er' with prepositions that are part of compound verbs that was explained above ...
Kom er niet aan! 2	Don't touch it!
Raak het niet aan! 2	Don't touch it!
... there is a similar exception that 'nothing'/'not anything' are not 'nergens' like usually when there is an independent preposition around, but the 'regular' 'niets' and 'niks' with prepositions that are part of compound verbs - more 'nothing'
Kom nergens aan! 2 3	[Touch nothing] - Don't touch anything!
Raak niks aan! 2 3	[Touch nothing] - Do not touch anything!
'Niks/niets' and 'nergens' are not interchangeable. 'Raak nergens aan' is not good Dutch, and 'Kom niks aan' 2 3 means 'Don't gain weight' but it's weird.


Instead of
Hij is nergens bang voor 2 3	He's not afraid of anything
You could say (it's a bit formal)
Er is niks waar hij bang voor is 2 3	'There is nothing he's afraid of'
When there is an 'er' (or the related 'special' placeholders 'daar' or 'waar') in the sentence, 'something' and 'nothing' will not be 'ergens' 2 and 'nergens' 2 but just the regular iets ‑>> or wat ‑>> and 'niets' or 'niks'
Hij gelooft nergens in 2 3	He doesn't believe in anything
Ik geloof er niks van 2 3	[I believe nothing of it] - I don't believe a word of it
Hij weet nergens van 2 3	He knows nothing about it
Ik weet er niks van 2	I know nothing about it, I don't know anything about it (see below for exception)
Daar weet ik niks van 2	I know nothing about that, I don't know anything about that
Daar bereik je niks mee 2 3 4 5 6	That won't [reach] get results, that won't get you anywhere
Ik heb nergens zin in 2	I don't feel like doing (or eating/drinking) anything
Ik heb er zin in 2	I feel like it, I'm looking forward to it
Ik heb er geen zin in 2 3	I don't feel like it, I don't want to do, eat/drink it
Je ziet er niks van 2 3	Yo don't see any of it, you don't notice it
Je merkt er niks van 2 3 4 5	You don't notice it
Wat heb je eraan? 2 3	[What is its use to you?] - Is it useful to you?
Zich nergens iets van aantrekken 2 3 4 5	Not be concerned about anything, just doing, 'not give a damn'
In the last line above, there is the compound verb 'aantrekken' but there is also an 'independent' preposition, 'van' so 'ergens' is used

Unexplained Further Exceptions

Er is nergens tijd voor	[There is time for nothing] - There is no time for anything
Hij weet van niks	He knows nothing about it, he has no idea

4. 'Er' as a 'pragmatic marker'

'Er' can also be a somewhat meaningless, hard-to-translate interjection. Words like that are sometimes called 'pragmatic markers' - in some phrases they can be left out, but often not. Dutch looks a bit bare without them.

Er was eens ... 2 3	Once upon a time there was ... (fairy tales start) ->>
Er was er eens ...	Once upon a time there was ...

Wie heeft gewonnen?	Who won?
Wie heeft er gewonnen?	Who won?
Wie heeft de wedstrijd gewonnen?	Who won the match?

Wie heeft hier de leiding?	Who's in charge here?
Wie heeft er hier de leiding?	Who's in charge here?
De Vries is de baas.	DeVries is the boss.
Hoe is 't? 2 3	[How is it?] - How are things, how are you?
Hoe is 't ermee?	[How is it with you?] - How are you?
Hoeveel tijd er is verstreken 2 3	How much time has passed, how long ago it is

Leaving out 'er' in the next two sets of examples would be poor Dutch. 'Wat is aan de hand?' sounds wrong. The correct use of these words must be difficult for foreign students.

Wat is er? 2 3	[What is (it)?] - usually asked when there seems to be a problem: What's wrong?
Wat is er met Jan? 2	What is with Jan? What's wrong with Jan?
Wat is er aan de hand?	What's going on?
Wat is er gaande? 2	What's going on? (old-fashioned)
Wat is er gebeurd? 2 3	What happened?
Wat zou er gebeuren? 2	What would happen?
Zou er wat gebeurd zijn? 2	Did something happen?
Ik wil weten wat er gebeurd is 2 3	I want to know what happened
Hij vertelde mij wat er gebeurd was	He told me what had happened
Wat gebeurde er toen je twintig was? (2)	What happened when you were 20 years old?
Wat is er veranderd? 2	What has changed?
Er moet iets veranderen 2	Something gotta change
't Doet er niet toe 2	It doesn't matter
Wat is er anders? 2 3	What's different? /or:/ What else is there? (There is no alternative)
Wat is er van hem geworden? 2	What became of him?
De winter komt eraan 2	Winter is coming
Ik moet er vandoor 2	I gotta go
Ik ben benieuwd wie er gaat winnen 2 3 4	I'm curious who's going to win
Wie weet er nog een mop?	[Who knows another joke?] - Anybody has a joke to tell?
Wie doet er mee?	Who'll join us? Who's in?
't Ziet er vies uit 2	It looks dirty - usually: unappetizing
't Ziet er slecht uit 2	It looks bad - usually: it's not going to get better
Wie is er aan de beurt?	[Who's on turn] - Whose turn is it?
Ga er even bij zitten 2 3	Do sit down (for it) for a moment
Ga d'r even bij zitten 2 3 4 5	Do sit down (for it) for a moment

more about 'pragmatic markers'

Dutch Vocabulary Overview - Dutch Grammar Overview - Listen to and Read Dutch

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