Breakdown of Waar wilt u naartoe?
u
you (formal)
waar
where
willen
to want
naartoe
to / towards (towards a destination)
Questions & Answers about Waar wilt u naartoe?
Where is the Dutch word for 'to go' (gaan) in this sentence?
In Dutch, when you use a modal verb like willen (to want) with a clear directional word like naartoe, you don't need to add the verb of motion. The "going" is already implied! So while the sentence literally translates to "Where do you want to?", it means "Where do you want to go?".
Why are waar and naartoe separated by the other words?
Together, the word waarnaartoe means "where to". But in Dutch, question words combined with directions are almost always split up. The question word waar stays at the front, and the directional part (naartoe) gets sent to the very end of the sentence.
Could I use heen instead of naartoe here?
Yes, absolutely! Waarheen and waarnaartoe both mean "where to". You will very often hear people say Waar wilt u heen? instead. Both sentences are completely correct and mean the exact same thing.
Why is it wilt u? Don't verbs usually drop the '-t' when asking a question with 'you'?
You are thinking of the informal "you" (jij or je)! When you flip the verb and subject to ask a question with jij, the -t is dropped (for example: Waar wil je naartoe?). But with the formal u, the -t is never dropped in questions. It remains wilt u.
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