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Questions & Answers about Die Küste liegt weit weg.
Why is the article die used before Küste?
die is the feminine singular nominative article. In German every noun has a grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), and Küste (coast) is feminine. You always learn German nouns together with their definite article.
What case is die Küste in, and how can I tell?
Die Küste is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence—the thing that “lies” somewhere. In German, the subject of a clause is marked by the nominative case.
Why is the verb liegt used instead of ist?
Liegen (to lie) is the typical verb for indicating the geographical or physical location of something. While Die Küste ist weit weg (“The coast is far away”) isn’t wrong, liegt sounds more natural when talking about where a place is situated.
What part of speech is weit weg, and does it count as one word or two?
Weit weg is an adverbial phrase comprised of two words: the adjective weit (far) and the adverb weg (away). Together they function as a single adverb meaning “far away.”
Can I use fern or weit entfernt instead of weit weg?
Yes. All three express distance, but with slightly different styles:
- fern is a one-word adverb meaning “far” and feels a bit more formal.
- weit entfernt is a two-word adjective–participle phrase, also rather formal.
- weit weg is very common in everyday speech.
Why isn’t there a preposition like von in the sentence?
Because weit weg already implies “away.” You only add a preposition when specifying the point of reference:
• Die Küste liegt weit weg von hier.
But if it’s clear from context, Die Küste liegt weit weg suffices.
How do I pronounce Küste, especially the ü sound?
Küste is pronounced [ˈkʏstə].
- The ü is similar to the French “u” in lune or the English “u” in “flute,” but more rounded.
- Round your lips as if saying “u,” yet position your tongue forward as for an “i.”
- The st after a vowel is pronounced [st], so you get [kʏs-tə].
Why is Küste capitalized even though it’s not at the beginning of the sentence?
In German, all nouns are always capitalized, regardless of their position in a sentence. That’s why Küste appears with a capital K.
Could I say Weit weg liegt die Küste for emphasis?
Yes. German main clauses require the finite verb in the second position. By fronting weit weg, you emphasize distance:
Weit weg liegt die Küste.
This word order is more poetic or emphatic and less common in everyday conversation, but it’s grammatically correct.