Das Museum ist nah, aber das Schloss ist am nächsten.
The museum is close, but the castle is closest.
Breakdown of Das Museum ist nah, aber das Schloss ist am nächsten.
sein
to be
aber
but
das Museum
the museum
das Schloss
the castle
Questions & Answers about Das Museum ist nah, aber das Schloss ist am nächsten.
Why does nah change to nächsten with a 'c' in it?
nah (close) is an irregular adjective. While its comparative just adds an umlaut (näher), its superlative form (am nächsten) adds both an umlaut and a c to create that ch sound. This is a special exception you just have to memorize!
Why do we say am nächsten instead of just nächsten?
When a superlative adjective stands alone after the verb (meaning it doesn't come directly before a noun), German requires you to use am and add -sten or -esten to the adjective. So, is closest translates to ist am nächsten.
Does the word aber change the word order in the second half of the sentence?
No, aber is a coordinating conjunction, which means it sits in position zero. It connects the two ideas but does not count as the first position. das Schloss takes position one, keeping the verb ist exactly where it belongs in position two.
Can we use nah and am nächsten for time as well as distance?
Yes! While they describe physical distance here, you will also see them used for time. For example, you use this root when saying what you will do next (als Nächstes).