Adverbs of Place — Part 1

I. Theory

Adverbs of place are used to show the location where an action has taken place, is taking place, or will take place. Examples of adverbs of place in English are: “outside,” “above,” and “here.”

Seit wann wohnst du hier? Since when have you lived here? Wir verbringen viel Zeit draußen. We spend a lot of time outside. Die Kinder müssen heute wegen der Kälte drinnen bleiben. The children must stay inside today due to the cold.

II. Adverbs of Place

This lesson will focus on four adverbs of place: hier, da, drinnen, and draußen. In terms of word order, adverbs of place are often found either after time and manner information, or at the beginning of the sentence if they are stressed.

Hier Hier findet das Treffen statt. The meeting will take place here. Vor 20 Jahren gab es keine Läden hier in diesem Teil der Stadt. 20 years ago, there were no shops here in this part of the city. Da Sind wir schon da? Are we there yet? Mein Buch liegt da auf dem Tisch. My book is there on the table. Note: Da sometimes translates to “here” in certain circumstances. Unsere Gäste sind da! Our guests are here! Ich bin wieder da. I am back (here). Draußen Meine Mutter hängt draußen die Kleidung auf. My mother hangs the clothes outside. Im Sommer sitzen wir gern draußen in der Sonne. In the summer, we like to sit outside in the sun. Drinnen Es ist heiß hier drinnen. It is hot in here. Die Katze muss drinnen bleiben. The cat must stay inside.