Many Dutch verbs come with their own preposition (a small linking word such as _op_, _aan_ or _voor_): you say _wachten op_ for wait for, _denken aan_ for think of and _houden van_ for love. The preposition belongs to the verb, and it is often not the one English would choose. So learn each verb together with its preposition as one chunk, with a short example sentence.
The pattern
Many verbs link to their object (the person or thing they are about) with one particular preposition. Learn the verb and that preposition as one unit, because English is not a reliable guide.
- Close to English: _praten over_ (talk about), _luisteren naar_ (listen to), _beginnen met_ (start with).
- Different from English: _wachten op_ (wait for), _denken aan_ (think of, remember), _kijken naar_ (look at, watch), _zorgen voor_ (take care of, arrange).
- No preposition in English: _houden van_ (love, really like).
- With the "self" word _zich_: _zich interesseren voor_ (be interested in). See [reflexive verbs](#/lesson/reflexive-verbs).
- In a subordinate clause (a part starting with _omdat_, _dat_ and so on), the verb goes to the end and the preposition group usually stays in front of it: _omdat ik op de bus wacht_.
- For things and in questions, the preposition can team up with _er_ or _waar_: _Ik wacht erop._ _Waar wacht je op?_ See [er plus a preposition](#/lesson/er-plus-preposition) and [questions with a preposition](#/lesson/preposition-questions).
Examples
| Ik wacht al tien minuten op de bus. | I have been waiting for the bus for ten minutes. |
|---|---|
| Denk je wel aan de afspraak bij de huisarts? | Will you remember the appointment with the GP? |
| Daan houdt van fietsen, ook als het regent. | Daan loves cycling, even when it rains. |
| Fatima zorgt sinds januari voor haar zieke moeder. | Fatima has been taking care of her sick mother since January. |
| Priya praat met haar buurvrouw over het weer. | Priya is talking to her neighbour about the weather. |
| Luister je wel naar me? | Are you actually listening to me? |
| In de trein kijkt Mei graag naar de weilanden. | On the train, Mei likes looking at the meadows. |
| We beginnen om negen uur met de vergadering. | We start the meeting at nine o'clock. |
| Ahmed interesseert zich voor lokale politiek, omdat hij iets voor zijn wijk wil doen. | Ahmed is interested in local politics because he wants to do something for his neighbourhood. |
Why it works this way
In these pairs the preposition mostly works as glue between the verb and its object. Sometimes you can still see a picture: _naar_ means towards, so with _kijken naar_ and _luisteren naar_ your eyes and ears go towards something. Often there is nothing to see: no picture of love explains the _van_ in _houden van_. That is why guessing from English goes wrong so often. German speakers will recognise several pairs (German has "warten auf" and "denken an"), but even they should check each one.
The preposition can change the meaning completely, which shows how firmly it belongs to the verb:
- _Joris houdt van kippen._ He loves chickens. _Joris houdt kippen._ He keeps chickens.
- _Ik denk aan mijn oma._ My grandmother is on my mind. _Hoe denk jij over thuiswerken?_ What is your opinion on working from home?
Remember: store each verb and its preposition as a pair, like shoes. _Wachten_ on its own is fine (_Ik wacht._), but as soon as you add the person or thing you are waiting for, the second shoe goes on: _Ik wacht op de bus._
Watch out
- Not: _Ik wacht voor een antwoord van de gemeente._ Say: _Ik wacht op een antwoord van de gemeente._ (wait for is _wachten op_)
- Not: _Emma zorgt van de kat van de buren._ Say: _Emma zorgt voor de kat van de buren._ (take care of is _zorgen voor_)
- Not: _Ik interesseer me in politiek._ Say: _Ik interesseer me voor politiek._ (the verb takes _voor_, although the adjective says _geïnteresseerd in_)
- Not: _Ik denk vaak in mijn familie._ Say: _Ik denk vaak aan mijn familie._ (Spanish and Arabic use a word for in here; Dutch uses _aan_)
Quick check
- Choose: _Yara staat bij het station. Ze wacht ... haar broer, want zijn trein heeft vertraging._ (_voor_, _op_ or _naar_)
- Choose: _Lotte praat in de pauze graag met Carlos ... voetbal._ (_van_, _over_ or _aan_)
- Choose: _Morgen is Bas jarig. Wie zorgt ... de taart?_ (_van_, _voor_ or _over_)
- Fix the sentence by adding one word: _Mei interesseert voor Nederlandse geschiedenis._
Answers
- _op_ (_wachten op_: she is waiting for him to arrive)
- _over_ (the topic comes after _praten over_)
- _voor_ (_zorgen voor_ also means making sure something is there)
- _Mei interesseert zich voor Nederlandse geschiedenis._ (this verb needs _zich_)
Use it today
Today, write one true sentence about your own life for five of the pairs in this lesson, for example _Ik kijk vanavond naar het journaal_. Then say at least one of them out loud to a real person before bedtime: a colleague, a neighbour or your partner.