What does "there" mean?

1. (at that place) in, at, or to a place that is not where you are now. 2. (to show existence) used with the verb 'to be' to show that something exists or is happening. 3. (comforting someone) something you say to comfort someone who is upset. 4. (that place) that specific place or position mentioned before.

there — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "I am going to there."?

No — say "I am going there.". Do not use 'to' before 'there' when it means 'to that place'.

Q: Is it correct to say "There is many people."?

No — say "There are many people.". The verb must agree with the real subject that follows it.

Word

01at that place

A1 · Beginner

adv. in, at, or to a place that is not where you are now.

adv. at or in that place; used to indicate a location away from the speaker.

“Put the chair over there by the window so we can see the garden.”

“The hikers decided to camp there because the plateau offered a clear view of the valley and protection from the wind.”

Usage

Functions as a locative adverb; typically follows the verb or the object.

Pitfall

I am going to there.

I am going there.

Do not use 'to' before 'there' when it means 'to that place'.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'here' to teach spatial distance relative to the speaker.

Synonyms

yonder

Antonyms

here

02to show existence

A1 · Beginner

pron. used with the verb 'to be' to show that something exists or is happening.

pron. used as a dummy subject or expletive pronoun to introduce a sentence concerning the existence of something.

“There is a small park near my house where children play.”

“There remain several unresolved issues regarding the budget that the committee must address before the final vote.”

Usage

The verb 'to be' must agree with the noun that follows 'there'.

Pitfall

There is many people.

There are many people.

The verb must agree with the real subject that follows it.

Teaching tip

Remind students that 'there' is not the real subject; the noun following the verb determines singular or plural forms.

03comforting someone

B1 · Intermediate

interj. something you say to comfort someone who is upset.

interj. used as an expression of sympathy, encouragement, or to soothe someone.

“There, there, don't cry; everything will be fine.”

“There, there, it was only a minor accident and no one was actually hurt.”

Usage

Often repeated as 'there, there'.

Teaching tip

This is very common when speaking to children or close friends in distress.

Synonyms

hush steady

04that place

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. that specific place or position mentioned before.

n. a particular point, state, or location previously referred to.

“It is a long walk from there to the train station.”

“We moved to the suburbs in 2010 and have lived there ever since.”

Usage

Often follows a preposition like 'from' or 'near'.

Teaching tip

Used as a noun substitute for a previously mentioned location.

Synonyms

that spot

Antonyms

here

there vs their vs they're

Their shows ownership, they're is the short form of 'they are', and there points to a place or introduces a fact.

RememberTheir has an 'i' for ownership; there contains 'here'; they're has an apostrophe for 'a'.

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”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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