Word
Ich bin dagegen.
Meaning
I am against it.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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Questions & Answers about Ich bin dagegen.
Why does this sentence use dagegen instead of gegen es for "against it"?
In German, when a preposition like gegen (against) is paired with an inanimate object like "it" or "that", you generally don't say gegen es. Instead, you combine them into a "da-compound": da + gegen = dagegen.
Can I use dagegen if I am against a person?
No. Da-compounds are strictly for inanimate things, ideas, or situations (like a new rule or a plan). If you are against a person, you must use the normal preposition and a personal pronoun, such as Ich bin gegen ihn (I am against him) or Ich bin gegen sie (I am against her).
What is the literal translation of dagegen?
The word da often means "there", so dagegen literally translates to "there-against". It might help to imagine physically pointing at a proposal and saying "I am against that."
How would I say the exact opposite: "I am for it"?
You would take the preposition für (for) and turn it into a da-compound. To do this, you just add da- to the front, making dafür. The sentence would be Ich bin dafür.