hier, da or dort?
a1Three degrees of proximity: hier is next to me, dort is far away, da sits in between and is the most flexible word - it often stands in for hier and also serves as a filler for time and logic.
hier
At my spot, within reach. Used when pointing at something near and when handing something over: Hier, bitte.
Hier ist mein Platz, dort ist deiner.This is my seat here, yours is over there.
da
The all-rounder: somewhere nearby, often exactly here. Also temporal (da kam er) and causal (da du müde bist).
Ist jemand da?Is anyone there?
dort
Clearly distant, out of reach, often with a gesture. More formal in writing than da.
Der Bahnhof liegt dort hinten.The station is over there at the back.
The mistake
Ich bin hier in Berlin, und mein Bruder ist auch hier, in Hamburg.
Ich bin hier in Berlin, und mein Bruder ist dort, in Hamburg.
Hier applies only to your own location. As soon as another place is meant, you need dort or da.
Rule of thumb
When in doubt, take da - it fits almost everywhere. You only need hier and dort when the contrast matters.
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