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Da- and wo- compounds
Da- and wo- compounds are pronouns that are connected with a preposition. We find their English equivalents in older English texts and in legal and official documents. English examples are thereby, thereafter, whereby, whereabouts. Many German prepositions can form such a compound. Examples:
- wofür? (for what?)
- wozu? (to what end?)
- womit? (with what?)
- dagegen (against that)
- danach (thereafter)
- daneben (besides that)
When two vowels meet, an r is inserted. Examples: worin (wherein)
- worüber (about what? over what?)
- darunter (under that)
- darauf (on that)
Example sentences:
- Wofür interessieren Sie sich? (What are you interested in?)
- Wozu brauchen wir das? (What do we need that for?)
- Womit sollen wir anfangen. (What should we start with?)
- Er ist dagegen. (He is against that.)
- Hier steht der Schreibtisch, und der Computer steht darauf. (Here is the desk, and the computer is sitting on it.)
Da- and wo- compounds with dependent clauses
Da- and Wo- compounds can stand with extended infinitives, dependent clauses, and indirect questions. Example sentences:
- Ich bin dafür, dieses Thema zu besprechen. (I am for [in favor of] discussing this topic.)
- Ich bin dafür, dass wir dieses Thema besprechen. (I am for our discussing this topic.)
- Es kommt darauf an, wie das Wetter wird. (It depends on what the weather's going to be like.)
- Er sprach darüber, wie man sich in den Siebziger Jahren kleidete. (He talked about how people dressed in the Seventies.)
- Ich weiß nicht, worüber er sonst noch gesprochen hat. (I don't know what else he talked about.)
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