Learn Hardcore German: Das Krankenhaus ist näher als die Bibliothek.

In German every noun has a grammatical gender (masculine, feminine or neuter). Krankenhaus (hospital) is a neuter noun, so it takes the neuter definite article das. A helpful pattern is that compound nouns ending in -haus are almost always neuter (e.g. das Wohnhaus, das Rathaus), but ultimately you have to learn each noun’s gender.

How do you form the comparative of nah in German?

To form the comparative of most one‑syllable adjectives in German, you add -er and usually an umlaut to the main vowel if possible. So nah → näher. That’s why the sentence uses näher (“closer”) rather than just nah.

Why is als used here instead of wie?

In German, comparisons of inequality use als after the comparative form: stärker als, schneller als, näher als. wie is reserved for comparisons of equality: so stark wie, genauso schnell wie, genauso nah wie.

Why is die Bibliothek in the nominative case after als?

Here als functions as a conjunction introducing the standard of comparison, not as a preposition. The noun after als behaves like the subject of an implied clause (“… than the library is”), so it remains in the nominative case: die Bibliothek. You don’t switch to dative or accusative in this construction.

Why doesn’t näher have an ending like nähere?

In German, adjectives used predicatively (i.e. after sein, werden, etc.) do not take adjective endings. Comparative adjectives are treated the same way, so you simply say ist näher, not ist nähere. If you used it attributively (before a noun), you would add an ending: ein näherer Ort (“a closer place”).

What’s the difference between näher and nächster?

Although they look similar, näher is the comparative of nah (“near”), meaning “closer” or “nearer.” nächster is either the superlative of nah (“nearest”) or an adjective meaning “next” in a sequence. For example: die nächste Haltestelle (“the next bus stop”), not “the closer bus stop.”

Why is Bibliothek capitalized in German?

German orthography dictates that all nouns are capitalized, regardless of where they appear in a sentence. That’s why Bibliothek always has a capital “B.”

How do you say the hospital is closer to the library in German, and why is that different from Das Krankenhaus ist näher als die Bibliothek?

To express “closer to” you use näher an + dative:
• Das Krankenhaus ist näher an der Bibliothek.
This literally means “The hospital is closer to the library.” By contrast, näher als die Bibliothek sets up a comparison between two things (“closer than the library”).

Why can’t I say Das Krankenhaus ist als die Bibliothek näher?

In German the comparative adjective must immediately precede its als‑phrase. The correct order is näher als, not als … näher. Also, the finite verb ist stays in second position in a main clause (Verb‑Second rule), so you need Das Krankenhaus – ist – näher als die Bibliothek ...

How do I express that one place is farther away (not closer) than another?

You use the comparative of weit with entfernt or weg. For example:
• Die Bibliothek ist weiter entfernt als das Krankenhaus.
• Die Bibliothek ist weiter weg als das Krankenhaus.
Both sentences mean “The library is farther away than the hospital.”