Kijk je naar het rapport? Ja, ik kijk ernaar.
Are you looking at the report? Yes, I am looking at it.
Breakdown of Kijk je naar het rapport? Ja, ik kijk ernaar.
ik
I
naar
to
kijken
to watch
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
Questions & Answers about Kijk je naar het rapport? Ja, ik kijk ernaar.
Why do we say ernaar instead of just translating "at it" as naar het?
Because het rapport is an inanimate object. In Dutch, you cannot combine a preposition like naar with a normal pronoun referring to a thing (like het or hem). Instead, you must replace the pronoun with er and attach the preposition to the end, forming a "pronominal adverb" like ernaar.
Would I use ernaar if I were looking at a person instead of a report?
No! This er + preposition structure is strictly restricted to inanimate objects. If the question was Kijk je naar de manager?, you must use the preposition followed by a personal pronoun: Ja, ik kijk naar hem. Using ernaar to refer to a person sounds very wrong to Dutch ears.
Can I split ernaar into two words in this sentence?
In this specific, short sentence, no—they stick together at the end as ernaar. However, if you add extra details, they will split. For example, if you add a time word like nu (now), er moves earlier in the sentence while naar stays at the end: Ja, ik kijk er nu naar.
Why is the preposition naar used here? Doesn't that usually mean "to"?