When getting into a taxi, the driver needs your destination:
| Where do you want to go? | Waar wilt u naartoe? |
Asking "Where to?"
In Dutch, expressing motion toward a destination requires a directional adverb like naartoe (towards a destination) or heen (motion away from the current location).
When asking a question with waar (where), the directional word sits at the end of the clause.
| Where is the taxi driving to? | Waar rijdt de taxi heen? |
| Where do we have to go? Straight ahead! | Waar moeten we heen? Rechtdoor! |
Motion Towards "Here" and "There"
Combine words like hier (here) and daar (there) with heen to specify direction.
Use hierheen when the motion is toward the speaker ("this way" or "come here"):
| Come this way, please. | Kom alsjeblieft hierheen. |
Use daarheen when the motion is toward a location away from the speaker ("that way" or "go there"):
| She knows the address, we are driving there. | Zij kent het adres, we rijden daarheen. |
Giving Directions
Two essential navigation terms are rechtdoor (straight ahead) and afslaan (to turn). Because afslaan is a separable verb, af moves to the end of the clause in simple sentences.
| Now you drive straight ahead, then you turn. | Nu rijdt u rechtdoor, daarna slaat u af. |
| The destination is close, you turn here. | De bestemming is dichtbij, u slaat hier af. |
Going "There" (Unstressed)
If a location has already been mentioned and you want to say you are going "to it", pair the unstressed er with naartoe.
| You are not going there, it is late. | Jullie gaan er niet naartoe, het is laat. |
