dense / tight
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dense
Describes something whose parts or elements are very close together, so that there is little or no space between them. Examples include dense forest, dense fog, or heavy traffic.
Wegen des dichten Nebels konnte man kaum zehn Meter weit sehen.
Because of the dense fog, you could hardly see ten meters ahead.
In the meaning of 'dicht' (dense) in the sense of 'close together', the adjective is often combined with nouns that describe a concentration or accumulation. Typical examples are 'dichter Nebel' (dense fog), 'dichter Wald' (dense forest), 'dichter Verkehr' (heavy traffic), or 'dichtes Gedränge' (dense crowd).
Wir kamen im dichten Berufsverkehr nur langsam voran.
We made only slow progress in heavy rush-hour traffic.
The meaning 'sealed' or 'impermeable' is directly related to the verb 'abdichten' (to seal). If something is not 'dicht' (sealed/leakproof), you have to 'abdichten' it (seal it), for example a window, a pipe, or a roof.
Der Handwerker muss das undichte Dach schnell abdichten.
The tradesperson has to seal the leaky roof quickly.
To express that something is very close to something else, you use the combination 'dicht an' or 'dicht bei' (close to), followed by a noun in the dative.
Unser Haus steht dicht am Waldrand.
Our house stands close to the edge of the forest.
In informal spoken language, 'dicht sein' (to be drunk) is a common expression for being very drunk. This use should be avoided in formal situations.
Er hat zu viel getrunken und war am Ende des Abends total dicht.
He drank too much and was completely drunk by the end of the evening.
The idiom 'nicht ganz dicht sein' (not to be all there) is a fixed colloquial expression. It means that someone is crazy or acting very unreasonably.
Du willst ohne Jacke bei Minusgraden rausgehen? Du bist wohl nicht ganz dicht!
You want to go out without a jacket in freezing temperatures? You must not be all there!
The colloquial expression 'dicht machen' (to close down) means to permanently close a shop, company, or institution. It implies that the closure is final.
Viele kleine Läden in der Innenstadt mussten in den letzten Jahren dicht machen.
Many small shops in the city center have had to close down in recent years.
near / close
'nahe' and 'dicht an' or 'dicht bei' both describe a short spatial distance. 'nahe' is more general and neutral: something is not far away. 'dicht' emphasizes that the distance is very small, almost with no space in between. That is why 'dicht an der Wand' (right up against the wall) sounds stronger than 'nahe an der Wand' (near the wall). Learners may confuse the words because both mean 'not far away'. As a simple guide: for normal distances, you often use 'nahe'; when something is directly next to something or very close to it, 'dicht an' or 'dicht bei' fits better.
Bitte stell die Tasche nicht so dicht an die Tür.
Please don't put the bag so close to the door.
Das Bürgeramt liegt nahe am Bahnhof, deshalb kann ich zu Fuß hingehen.
The citizens' office is close to the train station, so I can walk there.