Near and far
How near or far is it?
المعنى
Near and far describe how close something is to another person or place. We can give a rough distance or measure it in length or travel time. Languages use words, phrases, or endings for distance, and many have no special distance endings. This and that, here and there points out a person, thing, or place; Near and far describes its distance.
طريقة التعرّف عليه
Look for words or phrases that describe or measure how close something is to a person or place.
في اللغة الأم
Arabic describes distance with qarīb 'near' and baʿīd 'far,' which match the noun being described. The reference place commonly follows min after qarīb and ʿan after baʿīd. The verb yabʿudu can state a measured distance from a place.
الْمَخْبَزُ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ بَيْتِنَا. (Al-makhbazu qarībun min baytinā.)
الْمَحَطَّةُ بَعِيدَةٌ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ. (Al-maḥaṭṭatu baʿīdatun ʿani al-qaryati.)
Baʿīda is feminine to match al-maḥaṭṭa.
تَبْعُدُ الْمَدْرَسَةُ كِيلُومِتْرَيْنِ عَنْ بَيْتِنَا. (Tabʿudu al-madrasatu kilūmitrayni ʿan baytinā.)
The distance verb is followed by a measurement and the reference place.
في اللغة قيد التعلم
English uses near or close to for a short distance and far from or a long way from for a greater distance. Nearby can stand alone when we do not name the place we are measuring from. Distance can also be given in miles, meters, or travel time.
The bus stop is near the school.
Near is followed directly by the place used to judge the distance.
We live far from the city center.
Far from names a large distance from a particular place.
There's a small shop nearby.
Nearby means close to here or to the place being discussed.
Learners whose language uses the same link with all distance words may confuse near the school, close to the school, and far from the school. Learners whose language uses one word both alone and before a place name may put a noun directly after nearby.