Verbs with fixed prepositions + wo(r)-/da(r)-forms

Many German verbs are permanently paired with a specific preposition that determines the case of the following noun. These pairings are fixed: the preposition cannot be swapped out or dropped, and it does not always match the preposition used in an English translation. For example, warten auf + Akkusativ means «to wait for», sich interessieren für + Akkusativ means «to be interested in», and träumen von + Dativ means «to dream of». When the complement of such a verb is a thing or idea, German uses a wo(r)-compound to ask about it and a da(r)-compound to refer back to it. When the complement is a person, a normal preposition + pronoun or question word is used instead.

• The verb requires a fixed preposition. Use the preposition that the verb demands, regardless of what English uses. You need to learn each verb together with its preposition and case as a single unit.

• Asking about a thing or idea. Use a wo(r)-compound: wo + preposition (+ r if the preposition starts with a vowel). Example: worauf, wofür, wovon, worüber.

• Referring back to a thing or idea. Use a da(r)-compound: da + preposition (+ r if the preposition starts with a vowel). Example: darauf, dafür, davon, darüber.

• Asking about or referring to a person. Do not use a wo(r)- or da(r)-compound. Use the preposition + the appropriate question word (wen, wem, wer) or personal pronoun (ihn, ihr, ihm, …). Example: Auf wen wartest du? — Auf meinen Bruder.

The wo(r)- and da(r)-compounds are built by a simple rule: prefix wo- or da- directly to the preposition. If the preposition begins with a vowel, insert -r- between the prefix and the preposition to aid pronunciation.

Common verbs with their fixed prepositions and cases:

• Translating the preposition from English. English says «wait for» and «interested in», but German uses warten auf and sich interessieren für. Saying *warten für or *sich interessieren in is wrong. Learn each verb with its fixed preposition as a set phrase.

• Using worauf/darauf for people. Wo(r)- and da(r)-compounds are only for things and ideas. For people, use preposition + question word or personal pronoun. *Worauf wartest du? is wrong when asking about a person. The correct form is Auf wen wartest du?.

• Wrong case after the fixed preposition. Each verb-preposition pair requires a specific case. warten auf takes the Akkusativ, so the correct form is Ich warte auf den Bus, not *Ich warte auf dem Bus (which would be Dativ). Always check the required case when you learn a new verb-preposition pair.