Meanings
there1
alternative dar · alternative der · alternative dere · alternative thur · alternative thar · alternative dey · alternative thare
- not comparablelocationIn or at a place or location (stated, implied or otherwise indicated) that is perceived to be away from, or at a relative distance from, the speaker (compare here).
The air there is beneficial to health.
5 more examples
I know Bristol quite well as I used to live there.
I looked in the cupboard and my keys were there!
I consulted Wikipedia, and it says there that he died in 1970.
The view up here is better than the view down there!
There's that book I've been looking for!
- figurativelynot comparablelocationAt that point, stage, etc., visualised as a distinct place.
He did not stop there, but continued his speech.
2 more examples
They patched up their differences, but matters did not end there.
The law, that threaten’d death, becomes thy friend / And turns it to exile; there art thou happy.
c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii] - not comparablelocationIn a notional place where one will provide support or care; see also be there.
You know that I will always be there for you.
- not comparablelocationIn existence in some place.
I know that aliens are there, somewhere.
- informalnot comparablelocationIn its correct position, so as to be fully and properly fitted or inserted.
If I just push this in here like this, it should .... Ah! Good! It's there!
- informalnot comparablelocationAfter the name of a person perceived as located 'away' from the speaker, used familiarly to indicate that person.
Jim there has been with the company for twenty years.
- dialectalnot comparablelocationAfter certain determiners, especially 'them', 'that' and 'those', used to emphasise demonstrative sense; see also them there.
Your dog's been a-chasin' those there chickens.
- informalnot comparablelocationIn a notional place or situation of mental soundness and competence; see also all there.
I spoke to her, but she didn't make much sense. I don't think she's totally there.
- not comparablelocationTo or into a place or location; thither.
I've never been to Disneyland. Can we go there?
4 more examples
A knight there was, and that a worthy man / […]
1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “(please specify the story via the 'title' parameter)”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLCAnd the rarest that e’er came there.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]So that wherever there is sense or perception, there some idea is actually produced, and present in the understanding.
1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter IX, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Job, 28, vii, There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
- not comparablelocationInto an undesirable topic or subject matter; see also go there.
He started to talk about ... you know ... and I told him please don't go there.
- figurativelynot comparableIn that matter, relation, etc..
You say that the president is a crook, and I certainly agree with you there.
- not comparableobsoleteWhere, there where, in which place.
- not comparableIn this world: used to say that someone or something exists; see also pronoun section below.
These firms do not want the truth to get out and are financing these flights in the hope of dazzling the public. Yet the record of the gas engine is there for all to see.
1928 January, Captain Ferdinand Tuohy, “Why Don't We Fly?”, in Popular Science, page 144
alternative dar · alternative der · alternative dere · alternative thur · alternative thar · alternative dey · alternative thare
- Used to offer encouragement or sympathy; see also there, there and there now.
There, there. Everything is going to turn out all right.
- Used to express victory or completion.
There! That knot should hold.
plural theres · alternative dar · alternative der · alternative dere · alternative thur · alternative thar · alternative dey · alternative thare
- That place (previously mentioned or otherwise implied).
We need someone to take us from here to there.
2 more examples
anyway what was the use of my having come from Oakland it was not natural to have come from there yes write about it if I like or anything if I like but not there, there is no there there.
1937, Gertrude Stein, Everybody's Autobiography, page 289Some of these theres are actual, that is, situated in currently ... Other theres are only virtual
1993, Edward S. Casey, Getting back into place: toward a renewed understanding of the place-world, page 54 - That situation; that position.
You rinse and de-string the green beans; I'll take it from there.
alternative dar · alternative der · alternative dere · alternative thur · alternative thar · alternative dey · alternative thare
- Used as an expletive subject of be in its sense of “exist”, with the semantic, usually indefinite subject being postponed or (occasionally) implied.
No, there isn't. [=No, one doesn't exist.]
5 more examples
There are two apples on the table. [=Two apples are on the table.]
There is no way to do it. [=No way to do it exists.]
Is there an answer? [=Does an answer exist?]
There was just a bed, a wardrobe and some bookshelves.
1908, C. H. Bovill (lyrics), Jerome D. Kern (music), There’s Something Rather Odd About Augustus, song from the musical Fluffy Ruffles, It's very sad but all the same, / There’s something rather odd about Augustus.
- Used with other intransitive verbs of existence, in the same sense, or with other intransitive verbs, adding a sense of existence.
If x is a positive number, then there exists [=there is] a positive number y less than x.
5 more examples
There remain several problems with this approach. [=Several problems remain with this approach.]
Once upon a time, in a now-forgotten kingdom, there lived a woodsman with his wife. [=There was a woodsman, who lived with his wife.]
There arose a great wind out of the east. [=There was now a great wind, arising in the east.]
1895, Sabine Baring-Gould, A Book of Nursery Songs and Rhymes: Nursery Songs, XXII: The Tree in the Wood, All in a wood there grew a fine tree,
1897, James Baldwin, The Story of Abraham Lincoln: The Kentucky Home, in Four Great Americans, Not far from Hodgensville, in Kentucky, there once lived a man whose name was Thomas Lincoln.
- Used with other verbs, when raised.
There aren't supposed to be two people at the post.
3 more examples
There seems to be some difficulty with the papers. [=It seems that there is some difficulty with the papers.]
I expected there to be a simpler solution. [=I expected that there would be a simpler solution.]
There are beginning to be complications. [=It's beginning to be the case that there are complications.]
- colloquialAppended to words of greeting etc.
Hi there, young fellow.
3 more examples
Oh, hello there, Bob, how are you doing?
So, Mom, what are you cooking there?
Hi there! I’m Anna and I live in Washington, D.C.
2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
there2
- contractionmisspellingMisspelling of they’re.
there3
- misspellingMisspelling of their.
Synonyms & antonyms
at or in a place
to or into that place
nouna location other than here; that place; location, medial pronoun; demonstrative pronoun, location; quantifier: demonstrative determiner, distal; demonstrative pronoun, location; quantifier: demonstrative determiner, singular, distal
adverbin or at that place or location
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*tó-r“there”
- Proto-Germanic*þar“at that place; there”
- Proto-West Germanic*þār
- Old Englishþēr
- Middle Englishthere
- Englishthere
From Middle English there, ther, thare, thar, thore, from Old English þēr, þǣr, þār (“there; at that place”), from Proto-West Germanic *þār, from Proto-Germanic *þar (“at that place; there”), from Proto-Indo-European *tó-r (“there”), from demonstrative pronominal base *to- (“the, that”) + adverbial suffix *-r. Cognate with Scots thar, thair (“there”), North Frisian dear, deer, där (“there”), Saterland Frisian deer (“there”), West Frisian dêr (“there”), Dutch daar (“there”), Low German dar (“there”), German da, dar- (“there”), Danish der (“there”), Norwegian der (“there”), Swedish där (“there”), Icelandic þar (“in that place, there”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans daar
- daarin or at that place (position)
Ancient Greek ἐκεῖ, κεῖ
- ἐκεῖ (ekeî)in or at that place (position)
- κεῖ (keî)in or at that place (position)
- ἐκεῖθι (ekeîthi)in or at that place (position)
- κεῖθι (keîthi)in or at that place (position)
- ἐνταῦθα (entaûtha)in or at that place (position)
- ἔνθα (éntha)in or at that place (position)
- αὐτοῦ (autoû)in or at that place (position)
- τόθι (tóthi)in or at that place (position)
- ἐνθαῦτα (enthaûta)in or at that place (position)
- ἐκεῖσε (ekeîse)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- ἔνθα (éntha)to or into that place; thither (movement)
Arabic هُنَاكَ, هُنَاكَ
- هُنَاكَ (hunāka)in existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- هُنَاكَ (hunāka)in or at that place (position)
- هُنَالِكَ (hunālika)in or at that place (position)
- هُنَا (hunā)in or at that place (position)
- إِلَى هُنَاكَ (ʔilā hunāka)to or into that place; thither (movement)
Bengali ওখানে, সেখানে
- ওখানে (ōkhane)in or at that place (position)
- সেখানে (śekhane)in or at that place (position)
- ওখান (ōkhan)that place
- সেখান (śekhan)that place
Bulgarian тук, там
- тук (tuk)in that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- там (tam)in or at that place (position)
- ната́м (natám)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- ната́тък (natátăk)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- е́то (éto)Used to express completion
Catalan allà, allí
- allàin or at that place (position)
- allíin or at that place (position)
Chinese Cantonese 嗰度
- 嗰度 (go² dou⁶)in or at that place (position)
Chinese Mandarin 有, 那裡 /那里
- 有 (yǒu)in existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- 那裡 /那里 (nàli)in or at that place (position)
- 那兒 /那儿 (nàr)in or at that place (position)
- 那裡 /那里 (nàli)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- 那兒 /那儿 (nàr)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- 那儿 (nàr)that place
Czech tam, tam
- tamin or at that place (position)
- tamto or into that place; thither (movement)
Danish der, did
- derin or at that place (position)
- didto or into that place; thither (movement)
- derhento or into that place; thither (movement)
- derexpletive subject of verb of existence: "there is"
Dutch er, daar
- erin existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- daarin or at that place (position)
- ginderin or at that place (position)
- gindsin or at that place (position)
- daarheento or into that place; thither (movement)
- aldaarto or into that place; thither (movement)
- zoUsed to express completion
Esperanto tie, tien
- tiein or at that place (position)
- tiento or into that place; thither (movement)
- jenUsed to express completion
Estonian seal, sinna
- sealin or at that place (position)
- sinnato or into that place; thither (movement)
Finnish siellä, siinä
- sielläin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- siinäin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- sinnein that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- siihenin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- tuollain or at that place (position)
- tuossain or at that place (position)
- sielläin or at that place (position)
- siinäin or at that place (position)
- tuonneto or into that place; thither (movement)
- tuohonto or into that place; thither (movement)
- sinneto or into that place; thither (movement)
- siihento or into that place; thither (movement)
- no niinUsed to express completion
- se paikkathat place
French là, y
- làin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- yin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- iciin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- làin or at that place (position)
- là-basin or at that place (position)
- yin or at that place (position)
- yto or into that place; thither (movement)
- làto or into that place; thither (movement)
- làUsed to express completion
- voilàUsed to express completion
- il y aexpletive subject of verb of existence: "there is"
German da, dort
- dain existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- dortin or at that place (position)
- dain or at that place (position)
- dorthinto or into that place; thither (movement)
- dahinto or into that place; thither (movement)
- esexpletive subject of verb of existence: "there is"
Greek εκεί, εκεί
- εκεί (ekeí)in that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- εκεί (ekeí)in or at that place (position)
- εκείσε (ekeíse)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- προς τα εκεί (pros ta ekeí)to or into that place; thither (movement)
Hawaiian aia
- aiain or at that place (position)
Hebrew שָׁם, לְ־שָׁם
- שָׁם (sham)in or at that place (position)
- לְ־שָׁם (le-shám)to or into that place; thither (movement)
Hindi वहाँ, उधर
- वहाँ (vahā̃)in or at that place (position)
- उधर (udhar)to or into that place; thither (movement)
Hungarian ott, oda
- ottin or at that place (position)
- odato or into that place; thither (movement)
- így niUsed to express completion
- úgy niUsed to express completion
Icelandic þarna, þar
- þarnain or at that place (position)
- þarin or at that place (position)
- þaðin or at that place (position)
- þangaðto or into that place; thither (movement)
- þaðexpletive subject of verb of existence: "there is"
Indonesian situ, sana
- situin or at that place (position)
- sanain or at that place (position)
- ke situto or into that place; thither (movement)
- ke sanato or into that place; thither (movement)
Irish ann, ansin
- annin existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- ansinin or at that place (position)
- ansiúdin or at that place (position)
- ansinto or into that place; thither (movement)
Italian lì, là
- lìin or at that place (position)
- làin or at that place (position)
- iviin or at that place (position)
- cito or into that place; thither (movement)
- vito or into that place; thither (movement)
Japanese そこ, あそこ
- そこ (sokó)in or at that place (position)
- あそこ (asokó)in or at that place (position)
- そこへ (sokó e)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- あそこへ (asokó e)to or into that place; thither (movement)
Korean 거기에, 거기
- 거기에 (geogie)in or at that place (position)
- 거기 (geogi)in or at that place (position)
- 거기에 (geogie)to or into that place; thither (movement)
Latin ibi, illic
- ibiin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- illicin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- ibiin or at that place (position)
- illicin or at that place (position)
- īlicōin or at that place (position)
- illucto or into that place; thither (movement)
- istucto or into that place; thither (movement)
- eoto or into that place; thither (movement)
Latvian tur, tur
- turin or at that place (position)
- turto or into that place; thither (movement)
- turpto or into that place; thither (movement)
- turthat place
- turienethat place
Lithuanian ten
- tenin or at that place (position)
Malay di sana, di situ
- di sanain or at that place (position)
- di situin or at that place (position)
- ke sanato or into that place; thither (movement)
- ke situto or into that place; thither (movement)
Māori itaupa, rē
- itaupaUsed to express completion
- rēUsed to express completion
- ināUsed to express completion
- ināiaUsed to express completion
- nanaUsed to express completion
Norwegian der, dit
- derin or at that place (position)
- ditto or into that place; thither (movement)
- sånnUsed to express completion
Persian آنجا
- آنجا (ânjâ)in or at that place (position)
Polish tam
- tamin or at that place (position)
Portuguese aí, aí
- aíin existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- aíin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- aíin or at that place (position)
- aliin or at that place (position)
- láin or at that place (position)
- para aíto or into that place; thither (movement)
- para alito or into that place; thither (movement)
- para láto or into that place; thither (movement)
Punjabi ਉੱਥੇ
- ਉੱਥੇ (utthe)in or at that place (position)
Romanian acolo, colo
- acoloin or at that place (position)
- coloin or at that place (position)
Russian есть, име́ется
- есть (jestʹ)in existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- име́ется (iméjetsja)in existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- име́ются (iméjutsja)in existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- там (tam)in or at that place (position)
- туда́ (tudá)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- вот (vot)Used to express completion
Scottish Gaelic an sin
- an sinin or at that place (position)
Slovak tu, tam
- tuin existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- tamin existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- tamin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- pri tomin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- tamin or at that place (position)
- tamto or into that place; thither (movement)
- tato or into that place; thither (movement)
Spanish ahí, allí
- ahíin or at that place (position)
- allíin or at that place (position)
- alláin or at that place (position)
- acullá (further than "allá")in or at that place (position)
- por allíto or into that place; thither (movement)
- hacia alláto or into that place; thither (movement)
- para alláto or into that place; thither (movement)
- ahíthat place
- allíthat place
Swahili humo
- humoin or at that place (position)
Swedish det, där
- detin existence (expletive, as in "there be" but with other verbs)
- därin that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc. (abstract or figurative)
- därin or at that place (position)
- där)to or into that place; thither (movement)
- så där jaUsed to express completion
- detexpletive subject of verb of existence: "there is"
Tagalog diyan, doon
- diyanin or at that place (position)
- doonin or at that place (position)
Tamil அங்கு
- அங்கு (aṅku)in or at that place (position)
Thai ที่นั่น, ตรงนั้น
- ที่นั่น (tîi-nân)in or at that place (position)
- ตรงนั้น (dtrong-nán)in or at that place (position)
- นั้น (nán)in or at that place (position)
Turkish şurada, ora
- şuradain or at that place (position)
- orain or at that place (position)
- oradain or at that place (position)
- şurayato or into that place; thither (movement)
- orayato or into that place; thither (movement)
Ukrainian там, туди́
- там (tam)in or at that place (position)
- туди́ (tudý)to or into that place; thither (movement)
Urdu وہاں, ادھر
- وہاں (vahā̃)in or at that place (position)
- ادھر (udhar)in or at that place (position)
Vietnamese đằng kia, đó
- đằng kiain or at that place (position)
- đóin or at that place (position)
- đằng kiato or into that place; thither (movement)
Welsh yna
- ynain or at that place (position)
Yiddish דאָרט
- דאָרט (dort)in or at that place (position)
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with there
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
there. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there
“there.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “there,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there.
Source: there on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.