Pointing to a "dass"-clause
In German, many verbs and expressions require a specific preposition, like Angst haben vor (to be afraid of). If you want to say you are afraid that something will happen, you can't place the preposition directly in front of dass.
Instead, you combine da- with the preposition (like davor) in the main clause. This acts as a placeholder pointing forward to the dass-clause.
| He used to always be afraid that a spider was on the bed. | Er hatte früher immer Angst davor, dass eine Spinne auf dem Bett war. |
| She is afraid that the spider will jump. | Sie hat Angst davor, dass die Spinne springt. |
Discussing origins and therapy
This pattern applies to any verb or expression that requires a preposition. For example, with kommen von (to come from), you use davon.
| The phobia comes from the girl having great panic at heights. | Die Phobie kommt davon, dass das Mädchen in der Höhe große Panik hat. |
If the preposition begins with a vowel, insert an -r- between da- and the preposition for easier pronunciation:
- warten auf (to wait for) becomes darauf
- sprechen über (to talk about) becomes darüber
| In therapy, the therapist waits for the child to stop trembling. | In der Therapie wartet der Therapeut darauf, dass das Kind aufhört zu zittern. |
| We talk about how I often panic in the dark. | Wir sprechen darüber, dass ich in der Dunkelheit oft Panik bekomme. |
Getting used to it
The reflexive verb sich gewöhnen an (to get used to) pairs with the preposition an. Before a dass-clause, this becomes daran.
| I cannot get used to having to work in the dark. | Ich kann mich nicht daran gewöhnen, dass ich in der Dunkelheit arbeiten muss. |
You also use daran with verbs like denken an (to think about).
| Because of the phobia, I tremble when I think about having to fly. | Wegen der Phobie zittere ich, wenn ich daran denke, dass ich fliegen muss. |
