Latest / Learn German with Fexingo / German Directions: Near and Far
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey Luna, ready for another tiny German adventure? Luna: Always, Lucas. Last episode we went straight ahead and turned left and right. My head is still spinning a little. Lucas: That's right, we did. And today, we're going to ask a very important question: how far is it? Or in German, 'Wie weit ist es?' Luna: Wie weit ist es? That sounds like 'how wide is it?' Lucas: Close, but 'weit' means 'far'. So 'Wie weit ist es?' literally 'How far is it?' Let's break it down. 'Wie' we know is 'how'. 'weit' is 'far'. 'ist es' is 'is it'. Luna: Okay, so 'Wie weit ist es?' is 'How far is it?' Got it. Lucas: Exactly. And then you might hear the answer: 'Es ist nah.' That means 'It is near.' Or 'Es ist weit.' 'It is far.' Luna: So 'nah' is near, and 'weit' is far. Simple. Lucas: Very simple. And my favorite answer: 'Es ist nicht weit.' 'It is not far.' Remember 'nicht' from episode 192? Luna: Yes, 'nicht' negates. So 'Es ist nicht weit' means 'It's not far.' That's reassuring when you're walking somewhere. Lucas: Exactly. Now let's practice saying them. First, 'Wie weit ist es?' Repeat after me. Wie weit ist es? Luna: Wie weit ist es? Lucas: Perfect. Now, 'Es ist nah.' Luna: Es ist nah. Lucas: And 'Es ist weit.' Luna: Es ist weit. Lucas: And finally, 'Es ist nicht weit.' Luna: Es ist nicht weit. That one rolls off the tongue nicely. Lucas: It does. Now let's imagine a little scene. You're in Berlin, and you ask someone: 'Wie weit ist es zum Bahnhof?' How far is it to the train station? Luna: And they say, 'Es ist nicht weit. Gehen Sie geradeaus.' It's not far. Go straight ahead. Lucas: Perfect. You used 'geradeaus' from last episode. Great callback, Luna. Luna: So if something is close, you say 'Es ist nah.' And if it's far, 'Es ist weit.' And if it's not far, 'Es ist nicht weit.' Lucas: You've got it. Let's do a quick review. How do you ask 'How far is it?' Luna: Wie weit ist es? Lucas: And how do you say 'It's near.' Luna: Es ist nah. Lucas: And 'It's far.' Luna: Es ist weit. Lucas: And 'It's not far.' Luna: Es ist nicht weit. Lucas: See, you're already using them. Now, I have a little confession to make. This episode has been really fun to record. Luna: It has. And you know what, if this lesson was worth a coffee to you, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Just saying. Lucas: Yeah, that's a nice way to keep these episodes coming, if you feel like it. No pressure at all. Luna: Exactly. But back to German. Let's try a little role-play. You're a tourist, and I'm a local. Ask me how far something is. Lucas: Okay, Luna. Wie weit ist es zum Museum? Luna: Es ist nah. Nur zwei Minuten zu Fuß. It's near. Only two minutes on foot. Lucas: Ah, that's nice. What if I ask about the airport? Wie weit ist es zum Flughafen? Luna: Es ist weit. Du musst mit dem Taxi fahren. It's far. You have to take a taxi. Lucas: Good use of 'müssen' from episode 194. So you see, 'nah' and 'weit' are super handy when you're out and about. Luna: And now I feel more confident asking about distances. But I still mix up 'nah' and 'weit' sometimes. Lucas: That's normal. Let's do a quick memory trick. 'Nah' sounds like 'naw', like when you say 'that's not far' in a relaxed way. And 'weit' has a long 'i' sound, like 'wide' in English, and wide things can be far apart. Luna: That helps. 'Nah' is near, 'weit' is wide or far. Got it. Lucas: Let's practice a few more times. Repeat after me: 'Ist es weit?' Luna: Ist es weit? Lucas: That's a yes/no question: 'Is it far?' And the answer could be 'Ja, es ist weit' or 'Nein, es ist nah.' Luna: So 'Ist es weit?' is like 'Is it far?' and 'Wie weit ist es?' is 'How far is it?' Lucas: Exactly. You're picking this up really well. Luna: Well, I have a good teacher. But honestly, I think I'll remember these forever now. Lucas: That's the goal. So today we learned 'Wie weit ist es?', 'Es ist nah.', 'Es ist weit.', and 'Es ist nicht weit.' Four tiny phrases that will help you so much. Luna: And don't forget to practice them. Maybe ask yourself, 'Wie weit ist es zum Supermarkt?' and then answer. Lucas: Great idea. And remember, you can find all the phrases in the show notes, and if you want to support us, we're at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: But no pressure. We just love making these episodes for you. Lucas: Until next time, keep practicing and have fun with German. Tschüss! Luna: Tschüss!