Splitting "daar" and prepositions
In Dutch, combining a word like daar (there) with a preposition like over (about) or mee (with) creates a pronominal adverb, used to say things like "about it" or "with that."
While you can write them as a single combined word (daarmee, daarover), it is extremely common to split them. The daar stays early in the clause, while the preposition moves toward the end of the sentence.
| I lost the backpack and I am very sad about that. | Ik ben de rugzak kwijtgeraakt en ik ben daar heel verdrietig over. |
| I found the glove elsewhere, and I am very happy with that. | Ik heb de handschoen elders gevonden, en ik ben daar heel blij mee. |
What goes between the split parts?
Other sentence elements fill the space between the two halves. Words expressing time, manner, negation, or indefinite objects naturally slide between daar and its preposition.
| The inside pocket is safe, so she always puts the key in it. | De binnenzak is veilig, dus stopt ze de sleutel daar altijd in. |
| He wants to give it back, but he hasn't started with it yet. | Hij wil het teruggeven, maar hij is daar nog niet mee begonnen. |
Splitting with verbs at the end
When verbs are pushed to the end of the sentence (such as past participles or infinitives), the split preposition lands directly in front of them.
| Did you lose something valuable in there? | Ben jij daar iets waardevols in kwijtgeraakt? |
| He tries to search for it carefully. | Hij probeert daar zorgvuldig naar te zoeken. |
Split relative pronouns ("waar")
The same splitting rules apply when using waar (where) to form relative clauses. When describing a noun using a preposition (like saying "the backpack with which I travel"), waar starts the clause, and the preposition is sent to the end.
| The backpack I always travel with is elsewhere. | De rugzak waar ik altijd mee reis, ligt elders. |