da- and wo-compounds
Refer naturally to things and ideas with prepositions.
The rule
Use wo(r)-compounds to ask about things and da(r)-compounds to refer to them. For people, use a preposition plus a question word or personal pronoun.
darauf/worauf · damit/womit · daran/woran
Use wo(r)+preposition for questions about things and da(r)+preposition for answers/references.
Insert r before a vowel: woran, darauf, darüber.
Use preposition + personal pronoun for people, not da-compounds.
Core forms and structures
Use this table as a reference, then retrieve the forms without looking.
| Form | Function | German example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern 1 | Worauf is the careful-standard model for warten auf; colloquial Auf was wartest du? is also used. | Worauf wartest du? | What are you waiting for? |
| Pattern 2 | Darauf anticipates the dass-clause. | Ich warte darauf, dass der Bus kommt. | I am waiting for the bus to come. |
| Pattern 3 | Womit asks about a thing or means. | Womit fährst du zur Arbeit? | What do you travel to work with? |
| Pattern 4 | Daran replaces an + thing/idea. | Ich denke oft daran. | I often think about it. |
| Pattern 5 | People require preposition + personal question pronoun. | Mit wem sprichst du? | Who are you speaking with? |
German examples with English meanings
Worauf wartest du?
What are you waiting for?
Worauf is the careful-standard model for warten auf; colloquial Auf was wartest du? is also used.
Ich warte darauf, dass der Bus kommt.
I am waiting for the bus to come.
Darauf anticipates the dass-clause.
Womit fährst du zur Arbeit?
What do you travel to work with?
Womit asks about a thing or means.
Ich denke oft daran.
I often think about it.
Daran replaces an + thing/idea.
Mit wem sprichst du?
Who are you speaking with?
People require preposition + personal question pronoun.
Common mistakes
Incorrect: Woranauf wartest du?
Correct: Worauf wartest du?
Worauf is the careful-standard model for warten auf; colloquial Auf was wartest du? is also used.
Incorrect: Ich warte auf es, dass der Bus kommt.
Correct: Ich warte darauf, dass der Bus kommt.
Darauf anticipates the dass-clause.
Incorrect: Mit was fährst du zur Arbeit?
Correct: Womit fährst du zur Arbeit?
Womit asks about a thing or means.
Incorrect: Ich denke oft an es.
Correct: Ich denke oft daran.
Daran replaces an + thing/idea.
Incorrect: Womit sprichst du?
Correct: Mit wem sprichst du?
People require preposition + personal question pronoun.
Details and useful distinctions
A da-compound can anticipate or refer back to an entire clause.
Practise this grammar
Thing or idea: wo-/da-compound. Person: preposition + wem/wen or personal pronoun. Add r before vowel-initial prepositions.
Open da- and wo-compounds exercises →
For source references and editorial level notes, see the grammar reference. You can report a correction if an explanation or example seems wrong.