nah
near / close
Located at a short spatial or temporal distance.
EXAMPLE
Die Bushaltestelle ist ganz nah, nur zwei Minuten zu Fuß.
The bus stop is very close, only two minutes on foot.
nah
near / close
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Meanings
nah
close
Having a close personal or emotional relationship with someone.
EXAMPLE
Obwohl sie weit voneinander entfernt wohnen, stehen sich die beiden Schwestern sehr nah.
Although they live far away from each other, the two sisters are very close.
nahe gehen
to affect deeply
To touch or burden someone emotionally in a strong way.
EXAMPLE
Der Abschied von meinen Freunden ist mir sehr nahe gegangen.
Saying goodbye to my friends affected me deeply.
nahe legen
to strongly recommend
To strongly but politely recommend or suggest something to someone.
EXAMPLE
Ich möchte Ihnen nahelegen, das Angebot schnell anzunehmen.
I would strongly recommend that you accept the offer quickly.
Usage tips
Special comparison
The comparative forms of 'nah' (near/close) are irregular and are used very frequently: 'näher' (nearer/closer, comparative) and 'am nächsten' (nearest/closest, superlative).
EXAMPLE
Komm bitte ein bisschen näher.
Please come a little closer.
Spatial closeness
To express spatial closeness, 'nah' (near/close) is often used with the preposition 'an' and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Wir wohnen nah an einem großen Park.
We live close to a large park.
Personal closeness
To describe a close personal relationship, you use the expression 'jemandem nah sein' (to be close to someone) or 'jemandem nah stehen' (to be close to someone). The person with whom the relationship exists is in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Er steht seinen Großeltern sehr nah.
He is very close to his grandparents.
Fixed expression: nahe gehen
The expression 'jemandem nahe gehen' (to affect someone deeply) means to touch someone emotionally. The person who has the feeling is in the dative. The verb 'gehen' is separable here.
EXAMPLE
Der traurige Film ist mir sehr nahe gegangen.
The sad film affected me deeply.
Fixed expression: nahelegen
The expression 'jemandem etwas nahelegen' (to strongly recommend something to someone) is a polite way to recommend something. The person to whom you recommend something is in the dative. The verb 'legen' is separable here.
EXAMPLE
Ich lege Ihnen nahe, sich gut auf das Gespräch vorzubereiten.
I strongly recommend that you prepare well for the conversation.
Compare with
nah vs nächst
next / nearest
Nah only means that the distance is short. Nächst, by contrast, refers to the place or object that is the least distant compared with all the others. So a pharmacy can be near without being the nearest pharmacy.
nah
Eine Apotheke liegt nah, aber eine andere ist noch näher.
One pharmacy is nearby, but another one is even closer.
nächst
Die nächste Apotheke liegt direkt gegenüber.
The nearest pharmacy is directly across the street.
In real life
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