German · Greetings & Essentials
"There" in German: da / dort
da / dort
There in German is da or dort. Dort often feels a bit farther or clearer: Das Café ist dort. Da is shorter and very common in speech.
Pointing
Der Eingang ist dort hinter dem Baum.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce da / dort
Say it
dah / dort
/daː/ /dɔʁt/
dah / dort. Short a in da. Soft final t in dort.
"There" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| dort | there Clear location, often farther. | Clear location, often farther. |
| da | there / here (vague) Very common spoken form. | Very common spoken form. |
| dort drüben | over there Pointing across. | Pointing across. |
| da vorne | up there ahead Directions. | Directions. |
How to use da / dort in real life
- 1Pointing
Der Eingang ist dort hinter dem Baum.
The entrance is there behind the tree.
Dort.
- 2Farther spot
Wir parken dort neben der Kirche.
We'll park there next to the church.
Dort neben.
- 3Across the street
Das Museum liegt dort drüben.
The museum is over there.
Dort drüben.
Mistakes English speakers make with da / dort
Incorrect: Ich bin there.
Correct: Ich bin dort. / Ich bin da.
Use dort or da, not English there.
Incorrect: Mixing hier for a far place
Correct: Use dort for farther away; hier for here.
Hier vs dort is the basic pair.
Good to know
Da shows up constantly: Da ist er, Na da. Dort sounds a touch more precise when giving directions to tourists.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Finding a café on a map
ChatPal
Laut Karte ist das Café dort an der Ecke.
According to the map the café is there on the corner.
You
Ah, dort mit den roten Stühlen?
Ah, there with the red chairs?
ChatPal
Genau dort. Komm, wir gehen rüber.
Exactly there. Come on, we'll cross over.
You
Perfekt. Ich habe Hunger.
Perfect. I'm hungry.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"There" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "There" in German
How do you say there?
Da or dort.
Da vs dort?
Both work; dort often feels clearer or farther.
Over there?
Dort drüben.
Here vs there?
Hier vs dort (or da).
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
