adjective
nearby, close
B1
‘nahe’ means near, nearby or close. It is a gradable adjective with comparative 'näher' and superlative 'am nächsten'. It can be used attributively or predicatively. Note regional/usage variants: classical 'nahe' can appear with dative/genitive, but modern German prefers 'in der Nähe (von)' or 'nahe bei' for locations.
Examples
Der Ermittler blieb nahe der Fundstelle, obwohl die Kollegen bereits gingen.
The investigator stayed near the site, although the colleagues were already leaving.
Das Restaurant liegt nahe dem Bahnhof.
The restaurant is close to the station.
Sie wohnt in einer nahe gelegenen Stadt.
She lives in a nearby town.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a map with a town 'nearby' marked 'nahe' to the landmark
think 'nah-eh' like 'nah, eh?' but meaning near
Notes
‘Nahe’ is slightly more formal/literary than 'nah' in some contexts and commonly appears in fixed phrases (e.g., 'nahelegen', 'nahebringen' as verbs with different meanings).