Er is / er zijn (there is / there are)
Use er is (there is) and er zijn (there are) to introduce a new person or thing, match the verb to what follows, and place er in statements and questions.
Er is een probleem. (There is a problem.) and Er zijn veel toeristen in de stad. (There are many tourists in the city.) introduce something new. Grammar books call this presentational er. With zijn (to be), it can state that something exists or is present. Here, er does not name a place. It lets the new person or thing follow the verb.
Build er is and er zijn
Er is een pakket voor je. (There is a package for you.) announces one package. The subject is the person or thing being announced. Here, the subject een pakket is singular, so the sentence uses is. Er zijn twee pakketten voor je. (There are two packages for you.) has the plural subject twee pakketten, so the sentence uses zijn. The verb matches the later subject, not er. A neutral statement has three steps:
- Start a neutral statement with er: Er ...
- Choose the verb form that matches the later subject: Er is for one and Er zijn for more than one.
- Add the new subject and any details: Er zijn nog kaartjes voor de film. (There are still tickets for the film.)
Use other verbs with presentational er
Er staat een fiets in de gang. (There is a bicycle in the hallway.) uses staan (to stand) instead of zijn. Presentational er also appears with liggen (to lie) and zitten (to sit). It also appears with hangen (to hang), komen (to come), and wonen (to live). Each verb keeps its ordinary meaning, so choose the verb that describes the subject or its position.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Er staan twee fietsen in de gang. | There are two bikes in the hallway. |
| Er ligt een brief op de mat. | There is a letter on the doormat. |
| Er zit iemand op mijn plek. | There is someone in my seat. |
| Er hangen wolken boven de stad. | There are clouds over the city. |
| Er komen vanavond gasten. | Guests are coming tonight. |
| Er wonen veel studenten in deze buurt. | Many students live in this neighbourhood. |
Place er in statements and questions
| Clause type | Opening | Verb and er | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral statement | er | er before the verb | Er is een probleem. (There is a problem.) |
| Statement with a time phrase | Time phrase | Verb second, then er | Vandaag is er een probleem. (Today there is a problem.) |
| Yes/no question | Verb | Verb first, then er | Is er een probleem? (Is there a problem?) |
| Question-word question | Question word | Verb after the question word, then er | Wat is er gebeurd? (What happened?) |
In de kast staan (er) nog glazen. (There are still glasses in the cupboard.) starts with a place phrase. Presentational er is sometimes optional after this kind of opening. Omission depends on context, region, and style. A place opener can appear with or without presentational er.
Use it for new, indefinite information
Er staat een fiets in de gang. (There is a bicycle in the hallway.) introduces een fiets (a bicycle) as new information. In this neutral pattern, presentational er normally goes with an indefinite subject: a person or thing that has not been identified or mentioned yet. Such subjects often start with een (a/an), a number, or no article. The page on the indefinite article and zero article explains these forms. Use this pattern in four common situations:
- Announce one or more new things: Er staat een fiets in de gang. (There is a bicycle in the hallway.) Er zijn nog kaartjes. (There are still tickets.)
- Say that there is none: use geen before a noun in Er is geen les. (There is no class.), or use words such as niets (nothing) and niemand (nobody): Er is niets gebeurd. (Nothing happened.) Er is niemand thuis. (Nobody is home.)
- Ask whether or what is present: Is er iets? (Is there anything?) Zijn er meer vragen? (Are there more questions?) Wie komt er? (Who is coming?)
- Introduce someone in a story: Er was eens een koning. (Once upon a time there was a king.)
Een fiets heeft twee wielen. (A bicycle has two wheels.) is a general statement about a category, so it has no presentational er. In Een monteur heeft mijn fiets gerepareerd. (A mechanic repaired my bicycle.), the speaker means one specific but unnamed mechanic, so this reading also has no presentational er. Mijn buurman komt vanavond. (My neighbour is coming tonight.) also has no presentational er. Mijn (my) is a possessive: a word that shows who or what something belongs to. Subjects starting with de (the), het (the), a possessive, or a name are definite and normally do not take presentational er. The article een alone does not decide the pattern. Context determines whether you are presenting new, non-specific information.
Distinguish presentational er from het and other uses
| Form/use | Example | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Presentational er | Er is een probleem. (There is a problem.) | Introduces something new or present. |
| Empty-subject het | Het regent. (It is raining.) | Fills the required subject position when no person or thing performs the action. See empty-subject het. |
| het as a pronoun | Het is een probleem. (It is a problem.) | Evaluates a person, thing, or situation already in context. |
| Locative er | De fiets staat er. (The bicycle is there.) | Names a place and means there. |
| Quantitative er | Ik heb er twee. (I have two of them.) | Replaces a counted noun. See quantitative er. |
| Prepositional er | Ik denk eraan. (I am thinking about it.) | Combines with a preposition. See prepositional er. |
- Vul in: *___ een probleem met de verwarming.* (Complete the sentence: There is a problem with the heating.)
- *Er is*
- *Het is*
- *Er zijn*
- *Er ben*
The later subject, *een probleem* (a problem), is singular, so the verb is *is*: *Er is een probleem met de verwarming.* (There is a problem with the heating.) *Het is een probleem.* would mean that something already in context is a problem.
- Which sentence means 'There are many people in the shop'?
- *Er is veel mensen in de winkel.*
- *Er zijn veel mensen in de winkel.*
- *Het is veel mensen in de winkel.*
- *Er ben veel mensen in de winkel.*
The later subject, *veel mensen* (many people), is plural. The verb agrees with that subject, not with *er*, so you need *Er zijn*.
- Which sentence neutrally announces that there are three chairs, without naming a location?
- *Het zijn drie stoelen.*
- *Er zijn drie stoelen.*
- *Er is drie stoelen.*
- *Daar zijn drie stoelen.*
*Er zijn drie stoelen.* presents three chairs as new information. *Het zijn drie stoelen.* identifies known items as three chairs, while *daar* points to a location.
- Which subject best fits a neutral presentational *er* sentence?
- *mijn moeder*
- *de directeur*
- *een oude man*
- *Jan*
*Een oude man* can introduce a new, non-specific person: *Er woont een oude man in ons dorp.* (An old man lives in our village.) The other choices are definite. Context still matters: *een* does not always require *er*.
- Vul in: *___ staat een auto voor de deur.* (Complete the neutral announcement without adding a here/there location.)
- *Er*
- *Het*
- *Hier*
- *Daar*
*Er staat een auto voor de deur.* (There is a car at the door.) neutrally presents *een auto* (a car). *Het* would refer to something already known, so it cannot introduce *een auto* here. *Hier* means here. *Daar* means there. Both location words add a place meaning.
Test yourself
Question 1 of 5
Vul in: ___ een probleem met de verwarming. (Complete the sentence: There is a problem with the heating.)