verb
to approach
B1
‘nähern’ means to approach. It is commonly used reflexively as 'sich nähern' and takes a dative object (sich dem Ziel nähern). The verb is regular/weak, auxiliary 'haben' (Perfekt: hat sich genähert) and participle 'genähert'. Not separable; standard conjugation follows weak patterns.
Examples
Er näherte sich dem Haus.
He approached the house.
Wir nähern uns dem Bahnhof.
We are approaching the train station.
Die Boote näherten sich dem Hafen, nachdem der Nebel sich gelichtet hatte.
The boats approached the harbor after the fog had cleared.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine two people moving closer until they 'nähern' (approach) each other
think 'near-hern' — getting near someone
Notes
Commonly used reflexively: sich nähern (to approach, to get closer). It can also appear non-reflexively in some contexts but is typically reflexive. | Passive forms are generally not applicable for reflexive/intransitive verbs like 'sich nähern'.