naar
/naːr/
The Dutch preposition naar means 'to' in the sense of moving in the direction of or arriving at a destination.
naar is used to indicate the destination of a movement, such as a specific place or a direction. It is also used with certain verbs to indicate the object of an action, such as in the phrase luisteren naar, which means 'to listen to'.
Meaning: in the direction of, and arriving at (prep)
Which one should you use?
While naar is used for direction and destination, if you want to express 'to' in the sense of 'in order to' to show purpose, you must use the conjunctional construction om … te. Additionally, the particle te and the infinitive marker -en are related forms used in different grammatical contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a preposition, naar is used with the destination of a movement, such as a place or a direction. To express purpose (in order to), Dutch uses the construction om + [infinitive] + te.
How do you pronounce it?
/naːr/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Ik ga naar bed.I'm going to bed.This is useful for describing a movement toward a destination like bed.Tatoeba #8012123 by Elsofie, translation #139763 by CK
- Ga naar de hel!Go to hell!This shows the use of naar in an idiomatic expression.Tatoeba #8110412 by Raizin, translation #607840 by Eldad
- Ga naar de tuin.Go to the garden.This is useful for describing movement toward a specific place like a garden.Tatoeba #10651901 by rose_d, translation #10312506 by Amastan
- Ik schrijf een brief aan mijn collega.I am writing a letter to my colleague.
- De uitnodiging aan de directeur werd verstuurd.The invitation was sent to the director.
- Ik ga vanavond naar de bioscoop.I am going to the cinema tonight.
- Wanneer vertrekken we naar Amsterdam?When are we leaving for Amsterdam?
- 2905 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are deciding on a destination for their weekend trip.
- EmmaWandelen we naar het strand?Are we walking to the beach?
- LucasNee, laten we naar de markt gaan.No, let's go to the market.
- EmmaIs dat ver van hier?Is that far from here?
- LucasNee, we lopen zo naar de stad.No, we will walk to the city in no time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “to” translations and entries naar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries naar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
