what is it?
Text reference words (Verweiswörter) are words or short forms that point back to something already mentioned — a noun phrase, a whole clause, or even an entire preceding sentence. Instead of repeating the same noun phrase, the writer substitutes a compact reference form. German uses four main types: da(r)-compounds (e.g. dabei, dafür, dagegen, damit, darauf), which replace a preposition + noun phrase referring to a thing or situation; das / dies as sentence anaphors that pick up a whole preceding clause; solch- / derartig- for referring back to a kind or type; and the causal connectors deshalb / dadurch, which link a result or means back to a previously stated cause. Together these devices create cohesion — the grammatical and lexical glue that makes separate sentences read as continuous text.
when to use it
da(r)-compounds — use when the antecedent is a thing, concept, or situation (not a person) and the verb or adjective requires a specific preposition. The compound replaces preposition + es/das. Use dar- before prepositions that begin with a vowel (darauf, daran, darüber) and da- before consonants (dabei, dafür, dagegen, damit, davon).
das / dies as sentence anaphors — use when the antecedent is an entire clause or sentence rather than a single noun. Das is the neutral, spoken-register choice; dies is slightly more formal and written. Both stand in subject or object position and are invariable in this function.
solch- / derartig- — use when you want to refer back to a type or kind of thing just mentioned. They function as attributive adjectives and take standard adjective endings. Solch- is the everyday choice; derartig- is more formal and carries a slight intensifying nuance («of such a kind»).
deshalb / dadurch — use to link a result (deshalb = therefore, for that reason) or a means/instrument (dadurch = through that, by doing so) back to a cause or method stated in the previous sentence. Both are adverbs and trigger verb-second word order.
formation
Da(r)-compounds are formed by prefixing da- or dar- to the preposition. The rule is purely phonological: insert -r- when the preposition starts with a vowel.
| preposition | starts with | da(r)-compound | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| bei | consonant | dabei | in the process of that / with that |
| für | consonant | dafür | for that / in favour of that |
| gegen | consonant | dagegen | against that |
| mit | consonant | damit | with that / by means of that |
| von | consonant | davon | of that / from that |
| nach | consonant | danach | after that / according to that |
| auf | vowel | darauf | on that / in response to that |
| an | vowel | daran | on that / at that |
| über | vowel | darüber | about that / over that |
| in | vowel | darin | in that / in it |
| unter | vowel | darunter | under that / among that |
The sentence-anaphor das / dies has no inflection in this function — it always appears in its base form regardless of the grammatical role it fills in the new sentence.
Attributive solch- and derartig- take standard adjective endings after a definite article (weak declension) or without an article (strong declension), just like any other adjective.
| form | example phrase | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| solch- (attributive, nom. sg. masc., no article) | solcher Lärm | such noise |
| solch- (attributive, nom. sg. fem., no article) | solche Musik | such music |
| solch- (attributive, nom. sg. neut., no article) | solches Verhalten | such behaviour |
| solch- (attributive, after def. article, nom. sg. masc.) | der solche Fehler | — (rare; prefer: ein solcher Fehler) |
| derartig- (attributive, nom. sg. masc., no article) | derartiger Druck | pressure of that kind |
| derartig- (attributive, nom. sg. fem., no article) | derartige Kritik | criticism of that kind |
In everyday speech, so ein / so eine is the colloquial equivalent of solch ein / solche and is fully acceptable at B2 level.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Using preposition + es instead of a da(r)-compound.
When the antecedent is a thing or situation, German does not allow preposition + es. The da(r)-compound is obligatory.
✗ Die Mitarbeiter protestieren *gegen es.
✓ Die Mitarbeiter protestieren dagegen.
Using das without a clear antecedent clause.
As a sentence anaphor, das must refer to exactly one identifiable preceding clause. If the context contains several possible antecedents, the reference becomes ambiguous. In such cases, repeat the key noun phrase or restructure the sentence.
✗ Der Kurs war teuer. Die Teilnehmer waren unzufrieden. Das war ein Problem. (Unclear: the price? the dissatisfaction? both?)
✓ Der Kurs war teuer, und die Teilnehmer waren deshalb unzufrieden. Das war ein Problem.
Repeating the full noun phrase where a reference word is more idiomatic.
Repeating a long noun phrase in consecutive sentences is grammatically correct but stylistically clumsy in German. Proficient writers replace it with the appropriate reference word to keep the text flowing.
✗ Wir haben einen neuen Plan entwickelt. Wir arbeiten jetzt an dem neuen Plan.
✓ Wir haben einen neuen Plan entwickelt. Wir arbeiten jetzt daran.