lähedal / kaugel

Near and Far

Level 3

Ma elan jaama lähedal means "I live near the station." Tartu on Tallinnast kaugel means "Tartu is far from Tallinn."

How It Works

Lähedal (near) and kaugel (far) take different cases.

  • lähedal + genitive: jaama lähedal (near the station), minu lähedal (near me), mere lähedal (near the sea).
  • kaugel + elative (-st): Tallinnast kaugel (far from Tallinn), kodust kaugel (far from home). The elative can also come after it: kaugel kesklinnast.

Both words can stand alone as adverbs: Pood on lähedal. (The shop is nearby.) Kui kaugel jaam on? (How far is the station?)

Like other place words, they have three forms for where to, where and where from:

  • lähedale – lähedal – lähedalt: Tule akna lähedale. (Come near the window.)
  • kaugele – kaugel – kaugelt: Ta tuli kaugelt. (He came from far away.)

The comparative forms are lähemal (nearer) and kaugemal (farther). Time works the same way: Jõulud on lähedal. (Christmas is near.) Suvi on veel kaugel. (Summer is still far off.) With an abstract goal, lähedal takes the allative: Oled tõele lähedal. (You are close to the truth.)

Examples (6)

  1. Ma elan jaama lähedal.

    I live near the station.

    Word by Word: I live station-of near

    Jaam → jaama (genitive) before lähedal.

  2. Tartu on Tallinnast kaugel.

    Tartu is far from Tallinn.

    Tallinn → Tallinnast (elative) with kaugel.

  3. Kas siin lähedal on apteek?

    Is there a pharmacy near here?

    Lähedal used alone as an adverb.

  4. Kui kaugel jaam on?

    How far is the station?

  5. Tule akna lähedale.

    Come near the window.

    Lähedale is the "where to" form, needed after tulema.

  6. Me elame kesklinnast kaugel, aga mere lähedal.

    We live far from the city centre, but near the sea.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the noun before lähedal in the nominative.

    Ma elan jaam lähedal.
    Ma elan jaama lähedal.

    Lähedal is a postposition, so the word before it must be in the genitive.

  • Using the genitive with kaugel.

    Tartu on Tallinna kaugel.
    Tartu on Tallinnast kaugel.

    Distance is measured from a place, so kaugel takes the elative -st.

  • Using the "where" form after a verb of motion.

    Tule akna lähedal.
    Tule akna lähedale.

    Tulema needs a direction, so use the "where to" form lähedale.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

lähedal / kaugelLevel 3Near and Far

Learn This First

lähedal follows a genitive and kaugel takes the elative.

Words in This Pattern

lähedalkaugel