With the verb zijn, ‘to be’, er simply indicates that something exists.
Therefore, this function of er is also called ‘existential’. It is similar to English
‘there is’, ‘there are’. In the same way, as a preliminary subject, er can
also be combined with other verbs. Examples:
Er liggen woonboten in de gracht. There are houseboats on the
canal.
Er gaan veel toeristen naar Many tourists go to Amsterdam.
Amsterdam.
The adverb er can only be used in this way when the subject is indefinite,
i.e. with an indefinite article, without an article, with a number, or with
indefinite pronouns. Examples:
Er is iemand in de woonboot. There is someone in the
houseboat.
Er zit niemand in het café. There is nobody in the café.
Er staat iets over Anne Frank in There is something about Anne
de krant. Frank in the paper.
Er is vandaag niets te doen in There is nothing to do in town
de stad. today.
And lastly, with question words such as wie, wat, welke/wat voor, hoeveel:
Wie is er aan de beurt? Whose turn is it?
Wat zit er in de soep? What is in the soup?
Welke meubels staan er in de Which pieces of furniture are in
kamer? the room?
Hoeveel appels zitten er in de taart? How many apples are in the cake?
Place indicator
Amsterdam is een leuke stad. Ik ben er vaak geweest. Je kunt er veel
museums bezoeken. Het is een leuke stad om te winkelen. Ik heb er
dit antieke vaasje gekocht. Je kunt er ook heel lekker eten.
Amsterdam is a nice city. I have often been there. You can visit many
museums there. It is also a nice city for shopping. I bought this antique
vase there. You can also eat very well there.
As a place indicator, er works the same way as unstressed daar. It refers
to a place that has been mentioned before and is therefore known to
the listener. Similarly, it can refer to a place that may not have been
mentioned but that is expected to be known:88
14
The
adverb er