Breakdown of Der Kerl da ist mein Nachbar.
sein
to be
mein
my
der Nachbar
the neighbor (male)
da
there
der Kerl
the bloke, the guy
Questions & Answers about Der Kerl da ist mein Nachbar.
What exactly does Kerl mean, and is it polite?
Kerl is a very common, informal word for 'guy', 'bloke', or 'dude'. It is mostly used in spoken German. It is usually neutral or affectionate (like ein guter Kerl for 'a good guy'), but it can sometimes sound slightly dismissive depending on your tone of voice.
Why say Der Kerl da instead of using a word like jener for 'that'?
While jener does mean 'that', it sounds very formal and bookish. In everyday spoken German, people almost always use the definite article (der, die, or das) followed by da (there) or hier (here) to point something out. So, der Kerl da literally means 'the guy there' and translates naturally to 'that bloke'.
Why is it mein Nachbar and not meinen Nachbar? Doesn't the verb make it an object?
The verb ist (from sein, meaning 'to be') is a linking verb. It acts like an equals sign rather than an action, so it doesn't take an accusative direct object. Both sides of the equation (Der Kerl da and mein Nachbar) stay in the nominative case.
Could I move da to the front of the sentence?
If you say Da ist der Kerl mein Nachbar, it changes the meaning. Right next to the noun, Der Kerl da means 'that guy'. Moved to the front, da becomes a standard adverb meaning 'over there' or 'in that situation', so the sentence would mean 'Over there, the guy is my neighbour.'
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