When you describe movement, Dutch uses a small word that shows the route: _naar_ (to), _uit_ (out of), _door_ (through), _langs_ (along or past) and _over_ (across). _Uit_ also tells where you are from (_Ik kom uit Brazilië_), and _over_ also means about (_een boek over Amsterdam_). To give a start and an end point, you say _van ... naar_ (from ... to).
The pattern
_Naar_ points at where you are going, _uit_ at where you come out of, and _door_, _langs_ and _over_ describe the route in between. _Over_ can also introduce a topic.
- _naar_: to a place or a person: _naar huis_, _naar de supermarkt_, _naar oma_
- _uit_: out of something: _uit de trein_; and where you are from: _Ik kom uit Brazilië._
- _door_: through, in one side and out the other: _door het park_
- _langs_: along or past, with the thing staying beside you: _langs de rivier_
- _over_: across or over the top: _over de brug_; and about a topic: _een boek over Amsterdam_
- _van ... naar_: from ... to: _van Utrecht naar Leiden_
Examples
| Na het werk fiets ik naar huis. | After work I cycle home. |
|---|---|
| Fatima gaat naar de supermarkt. | Fatima is going to the supermarket. |
| Mei stapt uit de trein. | Mei gets off the train. |
| Carlos komt uit Brazilië. | Carlos is from Brazil. |
| Lotte en Ahmed lopen door het park. | Lotte and Ahmed are walking through the park. |
| Bas fietst elke dag langs de rivier. | Bas cycles along the river every day. |
| De bus rijdt over de brug. | The bus drives across the bridge. |
| Yara leest een boek over Amsterdam. | Yara is reading a book about Amsterdam. |
| Joris is van Utrecht naar Leiden verhuisd. | Joris has moved from Utrecht to Leiden. |
Why it works this way
The previous lesson, [In, op, aan, bij: where things are](#/lesson/place-prepositions), was about standing still. The prepositions in this lesson (small words before a noun that show place, direction or time) are about moving. Compare:
- _Priya is bij de huisarts._ (She is there now.)
- _Priya gaat naar de huisarts._ (She is on her way.)
- _Daan fietst door het bos._ (He rides through it, between the trees.)
- _Daan fietst langs het bos._ (The forest stays beside him.)
Remember: picture a box on a map. _Uit_ is an arrow leaving the box, _door_ goes in one side and out the other, _langs_ runs beside it, _over_ crosses the top, and _naar_ points at the place you want to reach. One bike ride can use most of them: _Ik fiets door het park, langs de gracht en over de brug naar het station._
_Uit_ for origin works with countries, cities and regions: _Ze komt uit Groningen._ With islands you will often hear _van_ instead: _Hij komt van Texel._
_Over_ for a topic works much like English about: _We praten over het weer._ With a time, though, it means in: _over tien minuten_ is in ten minutes (about ten minutes is _ongeveer tien minuten_). More in [Geleden, sinds, al and over](#/lesson/ago-since-in).
With _komen_ or _gaan_, _langs_ often means a short visit: _Kom je zaterdag langs?_ (Will you drop by on Saturday?) That is a [separable verb](#/lesson/separable-verbs).
With verbs of movement, Dutch often puts _uit_, _door_ or _over_ after the noun: _Ze loopt de winkel uit._ (She walks out of the shop.) Just recognise this order for now.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik kom van Brazilië._ Say: _Ik kom uit Brazilië._ (where you are from takes _uit_ with most countries and cities)
- Not: _Ik ga thuis._ Say: _Ik ga naar huis._ (_thuis_ means at home; the trip there is _naar huis_)
- Not: _Ik ga naar Daan's._ Say: _Ik ga naar Daan._ (_naar_ plus a person already means to their place)
- Not: _We praten van het weer._ Say: _We praten over het weer._ (a topic takes _over_)
Quick check
- Fill in the gap: _Waar kom je vandaan, Priya? Ik kom ... India._
- Choose _door_ or _langs_. The path runs beside the canal: _Emma wandelt elke ochtend ... de gracht._
- Choose _naar_ or _uit_: _De trein rijdt van Amsterdam ... Utrecht._
- Fix the sentence. Sanne tells you what the meeting was about: _We hebben van de planning gepraat._
Answers
- _uit_: where you are from, here a country.
- _langs_: the path stays beside the canal; _door_ would take Emma through the water.
- _naar_: _van ... naar_ means from ... to.
- _We hebben over de planning gepraat._ A topic takes _over_.
Use it today
On your next trip home, describe your route out loud in one Dutch sentence with _van_, _naar_ and at least one of _door_, _langs_ or _over_. For example: _Ik fiets van mijn werk langs het water naar huis._