der
Nachbar
🧍 What does "der Nachbar" mean?
Der Nachbar refers to a male person who lives in close proximity to someone else, or whose property borders that of another person. It usually refers to people living in the same building (in a different apartment), in the house next door, or across the street.
The word is used exclusively for male persons. The feminine form is die Nachbarin (the female neighbor).
- Meaning 1: Male person living next door or nearby.
🚨 Attention: Even when talking about a group of neighbors including both men and women, the plural form "die Nachbarn" is often used. This is sometimes criticized as generic masculine. More precise alternatives would be "die Nachbarinnen und Nachbarn" (the female and male neighbors) or "die Nachbarschaft" (the neighborhood/community).
Article rules for der, die, and das
Male characters → always masculine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
🧐 Grammar Insights: Der Nachbar
The noun "Nachbar" is masculine and follows the weak N-declension (schwache N-Deklination). This means it takes an "-n" or "-en" ending in all cases except the nominative singular.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Nachbar |
| Genitive | des | Nachbarn |
| Dative | dem | Nachbarn |
| Accusative | den | Nachbarn |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Nachbarn |
| Genitive | der | Nachbarn |
| Dative | den | Nachbarn |
| Accusative | die | Nachbarn |
Example Sentences
- Nominative Singular: Der Nachbar von nebenan mäht gerade seinen Rasen. (The neighbor next door is mowing his lawn right now.)
- Genitive Singular: Das ist das Auto des Nachbarn. (That is the neighbor's car.)
- Dative Singular: Ich habe dem Nachbarn beim Tragen geholfen. (I helped the neighbor carry something.)
- Accusative Singular: Hast du den neuen Nachbarn schon kennengelernt? (Have you met the new neighbor yet?)
- Plural: Die Nachbarn feiern heute eine Party im Garten. (The neighbors are having a party in the garden today.)
🏠 How to use "Nachbar"?
"Nachbar" is used in everyday language to refer to people living in the immediate vicinity. The term implies a certain physical closeness and often also a social relationship, which can range from friendly to neutral to tense.
- Typical Usage: Describing people in the residential environment ("Mein Nachbar ist sehr nett." - My neighbor is very nice., "Wir haben Streit mit den Nachbarn." - We have a dispute with the neighbors.).
- Context: Mostly in a private setting, but also figuratively for adjacent countries or regions ("Deutschland und seine Nachbarn" - Germany and its neighbors).
- Distinction: While "der Nachbar" refers to the male person, "die Nachbarschaft" means the community of neighbors or the residential area itself.
One can also speak of "direkte Nachbarn" (direct neighbors, living wall-to-wall or door-to-door) or "entferntere Nachbarn" (more distant neighbors, living on the same street but not directly next door).
🧠 Mnemonics for "der Nachbar"
Article Mnemonic
Imagine: Der Mann (the man), der Herr (the gentleman) next door is my neighbor. Male persons often take "der".
Meaning Mnemonic
"Nachbar" sounds a bit like "nigh-bore" or "near-by-er". The person who lives near by is your Nachbar.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms of Nachbar
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Der Anwohner: Resident; person living in a specific area (slightly more formal).
- Der Anrainer: Abutter/borderer; person whose property adjoins something (e.g., a street, a river; often used in official language).
- Der Nebenmann / die Nebenleute (in context): Person(s) next to someone; person(s) sitting or standing directly beside someone (not necessarily living).
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning)
- Der Fremde: Stranger; an unknown person.
- Der weit Entfernte: Someone far away; someone who doesn't live nearby.
⚠️ Caution: "Mitbewohner" (roommate/flatmate/housemate) is not a synonym! A Mitbewohner shares the same apartment or house, whereas a Nachbar lives in a separate dwelling unit.
😂 A little neighborly joke
DE: Fragt ein Nachbar den anderen: "Sagen Sie mal, leihen Sie mir kurz Ihren Rasenmäher?" Antwortet der andere: "Gerne, aber nur, wenn Sie ihn nicht aus meinem Garten entfernen!"
EN: One neighbor asks the other: "Say, could I borrow your lawnmower for a moment?" The other replies: "Gladly, but only if you don't remove it from my garden!"
📜 Poem about the Neighbor
DE:
Der Nachbar wohnt gleich nebenan,
mal sieht man ihn, mal dann und wann.
Man grüßt sich kurz, ein nettes Wort,
an diesem nachbarschaftlichen Ort.
Mal leiht man Zucker, mal ein Ei,
so geht das Leben hier vorbei.
EN:
The neighbor lives right next door,
sometimes seen, sometimes not much more.
A brief hello, a friendly word,
in this neighborly place conferred.
Sometimes sugar, sometimes an egg you borrow,
so life passes, today and tomorrow.
❓ Riddle Time
DE:
Ich wohne nicht bei dir im Haus,
doch meine Tür ist nicht weit aus.
Mal laut, mal leise, bin ich da,
wer bin ich wohl? Na klar:
... Der Nachbar
EN:
I don't live inside your house,
but my door is not far out.
Sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, I am there,
who am I? It's clear:
... The Neighbor (der Nachbar)
💡 Other Information
Word Composition
Historically, the word "Nachbar" is composed of:
- nach(e): Old High German for "nahe" (near).
- (ge)bur: Old High German for "Bauer" (farmer) or "Bewohner" (dweller/resident), related to "bauen" (to build).
So, a Nachbar was originally someone who "builds near" or "dwells near".
Common Compound Words
- Die Nachbarschaft: The neighborhood or the community of neighbors.
- Die Nachbarschaftshilfe: Neighborly help/assistance; mutual support among neighbors.
- Der Nachbarschaftsstreit: A dispute between neighbors.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Nachbar?
The word 'Nachbar' is masculine: der Nachbar (plural: die Nachbarn). The feminine form is 'die Nachbarin'. It follows the N-declension.