die  Nachbarin

A1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈnaːxbaːʁɪn/

🏠 What exactly is a Nachbarin?

Die Nachbarin (plural: die Nachbarinnen) refers to a female person who lives in the immediate vicinity or whose property borders one's own. It's the female counterpart to der Nachbar (male neighbor).

It is a distinctly feminine noun and always uses the article die. There are no other meanings or articles associated with this word.

Example: Meine Nachbarin hat mir gestern Blumen gebracht. (My female neighbor brought me flowers yesterday.)

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of 'die Nachbarin' in Detail

The noun die Nachbarin is feminine. It follows the weak n-declension pattern in the plural, but doesn't take an ending in the singular cases besides Nominative.

Singular Declension

Plural Declension

Example Sentences 📖

• Die Nachbarin von nebenan ist sehr nett. (The female neighbor next door is very nice. - Nominative Singular)
• Ich habe das Buch der Nachbarin ausgeliehen. (I borrowed the female neighbor's book. - Genitive Singular)
• Wir helfen der Nachbarin beim Umzug. (We are helping the female neighbor move. - Dative Singular)
• Kennst du die Nachbarin gegenüber? (Do you know the female neighbor across the street? - Accusative Singular)
• Die Nachbarinnen treffen sich oft zum Kaffee. (The female neighbors often meet for coffee. - Nominative Plural)
• Das ist der Garten der Nachbarinnen. (That is the female neighbors' garden. - Genitive Plural)
• Er schenkte den Nachbarinnen Kuchen. (He gave cake to the female neighbors. - Dative Plural)
• Wir haben die Nachbarinnen zum Grillen eingeladen. (We invited the female neighbors for a barbecue. - Accusative Plural)

💬 How to use 'Nachbarin'?

The word Nachbarin is commonly used in everyday life to refer to a woman living nearby – whether in the same building (Wohnungsnachbarin), the house next door, or across the street.

• Context: Mostly in a private, spatial context. You talk about the Nachbarin when discussing your immediate living environment.
• Connotation: The connotation can be neutral, positive (e.g., eine nette Nachbarin - a nice female neighbor) or sometimes slightly negative (e.g., eine neugierige Nachbarin - a nosy female neighbor), depending on the context and adjective used.
• Distinction: Nachbarin specifically relates to the living situation. A Kollegin (female colleague, in the office next door) is not a Nachbarin in the primary sense, even if she works nearby. The word Anwohnerin (female resident) is more general and can also refer to women living in the same street or area, not necessarily directly adjacent.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'Nachbarin'

Here are some memory aids for the article and meaning:

• Article Mnemonic: Remember: A Nachbarin is a female person, and female persons in German often take the article die (like die Frau, die Dame, die Tante). The suffix '-in' almost always signals 'die'.
• Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine your female neighbor lives near by and is in her house – Nachbar-in. It sounds a bit like "Near-bar-in".

↔️ Opposites and Similar Words

⚠️ Caution: Don't confuse Nachbarin with Kollegin (female colleague) or Freundin (female friend/girlfriend), although a neighbor can certainly also be a friend.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt Fritzchen seine Mutter: „Mama, stimmt es, dass unsere Nachbarin eine Klatschtante ist?“
Mutter: „Aber Fritzchen, wer hat dir denn so etwas erzählt?“
Fritzchen: „Die Nachbarin!“

Translation:
Little Fritz asks his mother: "Mom, is it true that our neighbor is a gossip?"
Mother: "But Fritz, who told you such a thing?"
Fritz: "The neighbor!"

📜 A Little Poem

Die Nachbarin von nebenan,
manchmal leiht sie Zucker an.
Sie winkt herüber freundlich, nett,
vom Balkon zum Blumenbeet.
Man kennt sich, grüßt sich auf dem Flur,
so ist das Leben hier, Natur.

Translation:
The neighbor lady next door,
Sometimes lends sugar, asking for no more.
She waves across, so friendly and kind,
From balcony to flowerbed, you'll find.
We know each other, greet in the hall,
That's just life here, natural thrall.

❓ Who am I? A Riddle

Ich wohne Tür an Tür mit dir,
bin weiblich, das verrat' ich hier.
Manchmal borge ich mir Mehl,
manchmal stör' ich, ohne Fehl?

Wer bin ich?

Translation:
I live door to door with you,
I'm female, I'm telling you true.
Sometimes I borrow flour, maybe,
Sometimes I disturb, could it be?

Who am I?
... Die Nachbarin (The female neighbor)

📌 Other Info

Word Formation:

• The word Nachbarin is derived (through movierung - creating a feminine form) from the masculine word Nachbar.
• It is formed by adding the suffix -in, which is typical for forming feminine personal nouns in German (e.g., Lehrer -> Lehrerin (teacher), Arzt -> Ärztin (doctor)).
• Nachbar itself comes from Old High German nahgibur, meaning "near dweller" (nah - near + Gebauer/Bewohner - dweller/resident).

Cultural Aspect: The relationship with neighbors (Nachbarn and Nachbarinnen) plays a significant social role in Germany, ranging from friendly help to notorious "neighborhood disputes" (Nachbarschaftsstreitigkeiten).