to stand there / come across
Loading your saved state.
to stand there
To stand in a particular place, often without doing anything or knowing what to do.
Als der Regen plötzlich einsetzte, standen wir ohne Schirm da.
When the rain suddenly started, we stood there without an umbrella.
'Dastehen' (to stand there / to come across) is a separable verb. The prefix 'da-' separates from the verb 'stehen' in a main clause and goes to the end of the sentence.
Nach der überraschenden Nachricht stand er sprachlos da.
After the surprising news, he stood there speechless.
As a separable verb, the prefix 'da' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Sie stand einfach nur da und sagte nichts.
She just stood there and said nothing.
In the figurative meaning, 'dastehen' (to be doing / to stand) is very often combined with adverbs like 'gut' (well), 'schlecht' (badly), 'besser' (better), or 'allein' (alone) to evaluate a situation or position.
Im Vergleich zur Konkurrenz steht unsere Firma jetzt viel besser da.
Compared with the competition, our company is now doing much better.
To describe a particular image or role, the structure 'dastehen als ...' (to come across as ...) is used. The word after 'als' is in the nominative.
Er hat einen Fehler gemacht und steht jetzt als der Dumme da.
He made a mistake and now comes across as the fool.
to stand
'stehen' and 'dastehen' can both describe that someone is on their feet or is in a particular situation. 'stehen' is neutral: someone is standing in a place, or something is in a certain state. 'dastehen' focuses more strongly on the whole situation. It can mean that someone is simply standing around and does not know what to do. It can also describe how good or bad someone appears, or what situation they are in. Learners may confuse the words because 'dastehen' is made up of 'da' and 'stehen'. But 'dastehen' often says more about the situation or impression than just about body posture.
Nach der Präsentation stand Ida sehr sicher vor der Klasse da.
After the presentation, Ida appeared very confident in front of the class.
Wir standen vor dem Amt und warteten auf unseren Termin.
We were standing in front of the office and waiting for our appointment.