German · People & Family

"Neighbor" in German: Nachbar / Nachbarin

der Nachbar / die Nachbarin

Say it: NAKH-barmasculine / feminine · der Nachbar / die Nachbarinnoun/ˈnaxbaːɐ̯/

Neighbor in German is der Nachbar for a man and die Nachbarin for a woman. The plural is die Nachbarn. Hallway hellos are short and friendly.

Borrowing an egg

Mein Nachbar hat immer Zucker übrig.
My neighbor always has spare sugar.
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How to pronounce Nachbar / Nachbarin

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NAKH-bar

/ˈnaxbaːɐ̯/

NAKH-bar / NAKH-bar-in. Soft ch in nach. Clear final r.

"Neighbor" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Nachbarneighbor (male)

Masculine form.

die Nachbarinneighbor (female)

Feminine form.

die Nachbarnneighbors

Plural.

Nachbarsleutethe neighbors (people next door)

Colloquial plural.

How to use Nachbar / Nachbarin in real life

  1. 1Borrowing an egg

    Mein Nachbar hat immer Zucker übrig.

    My neighbor always has spare sugar.

    Mein Nachbar.

  2. 2Quiet hours

    Die Nachbarin bittet um Ruhe nach zehn.

    The neighbor asks for quiet after ten.

    Die Nachbarin.

  3. 3Party invite

    Wir laden die Nachbarn zum Grillen ein.

    We're inviting the neighbors to the barbecue.

    Die Nachbarn plural.

Mistakes English speakers make with Nachbar / Nachbarin

Incorrect: die Nachbar (male)

Correct: der Nachbar

Male neighbor is der Nachbar.

Incorrect: die Nachbaren

Correct: die Nachbarn

Plural is Nachbarn, not Nachbaren.

Good to know

In German apartment buildings, a quick Hallo to your Nachbar in the stairwell is normal. Deep friendship is optional; respect for quiet hours matters more than long chats.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Meeting someone new in the building

  1. ChatPal

    Kennst du schon Leute im Haus?

    Do you know people in the building yet?

  2. You

    Nur meinen Nachbar von nebenan.

    Only my neighbor next door.

  3. ChatPal

    Und die Nachbarin oben? Sie ist nett.

    And the neighbor upstairs? She's nice.

  4. You

    Stimmt. Die Nachbarin hat mir den Schlüssel gezeigt.

    True. The neighbor showed me the key.

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"Neighbor" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Neighbor" in German

How do you say neighbor?

Der Nachbar / die Nachbarin.

Plural?

Die Nachbarn.

Next-door neighbor?

Der Nachbar von nebenan / die Nachbarin von nebenan.

Is Nachbarschaft related?

Yes — Nachbarschaft means neighborhood.

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