Questions & Answers about Ég bíð nálægt bankanum.
Why is the noun in the form bankanum here?
Because nálægt governs the dative case. Banki (a bank) is a weak masculine noun; its definite dative singular is bankanum.
- Nominative definite: bankinn (the bank, as subject)
- Accusative definite: bankann (after e.g., við)
- Dative definite: bankanum (after nálægt, hjá)
- Genitive definite: bankans
What exactly is nálægt here, and which case does it take?
Nálægt is a preposition meaning “near/close to” and it takes the dative case: nálægt + dative (e.g., nálægt bankanum, nálægt húsinu). It can also be an adverb (“nearby”) with no complement, or the neuter form of the adjective nálægur (“near”), but in this sentence it’s a preposition.
Could I use við or hjá instead of nálægt? What’s the difference?
- nálægt + dat = near but not necessarily right at the thing: Ég bíð nálægt bankanum.
- við + acc = by/at/right next to or against something: Ég bíð við bankann.
- hjá + dat = at/by (often “at someone’s place” or “with an institution”): Ég bíð hjá bankanum ≈ “I’m at the bank (area/with the bank).” It can also mean “work for” with verbs like vinna hjá.
Why is there no word for “for” after “wait”? How do I say “I’m waiting for X near the bank”?