German Phrase
Ist das weit von hier?
Meaning
Literally, “Is that far from here?” The speaker is asking whether the distance to a particular place or object is considerable when measured from the current location.
When to use
Use this question when you’re planning a route, checking travel times, or simply curious about how far a landmark, shop, or friend’s house is from where you stand.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Istdasweitvonhier?
Ist (sein)
‘Ist’ is the 3rd‑person singular present of the verb sein (to be) and is used to form yes/no questions by placing it at the start.
das (demonstrative pronoun)
‘das’ points to a specific thing that both speakers can see or have in mind; it functions as the subject of the sentence.
weit (predicative adjective)
When used after ‘sein’, ‘weit’ describes distance and does not need a case ending.
von (preposition)
‘von’ introduces the reference point for the distance; it always governs the dative case.
hier (dative adverb)
‘hier’ means ‘here’ and, after ‘von’, stays in its base form because it is an adverb, not a noun.
🗨In Conversation
Entschuldigung, ist das Museum weit von hier?
Excuse me, is the museum far from here?
Nein, es ist nur etwa fünf Minuten zu Fuß.
No, it’s only about a five‑minute walk.
✕Common Mistakes
Ist das weit hier von?
‘von hier’ is correct; learners sometimes reverse it to ‘hier von’, which sounds unnatural.
Ist das weit entfernt von hier?
When you want to stress a long distance, native speakers often add ‘entfernt’ – ‘weit entfernt’. Using only ‘weit’ is fine for short‑to‑moderate distances.
Ist das Berlin weit von hier?
If you’re referring to a place name, you can drop the demonstrative pronoun: ‘Ist Berlin weit von hier?’
↔Alternatives
Wie weit ist das von hier?
How far is that from here?
Ist das hier weit entfernt?
Is that far away from here?
Ist das nicht in der Nähe?
Isn't that nearby?
Cultural Tip
German speakers tend to be very direct about distance. If you want to sound a bit softer, you can add ‘ein bisschen’ (a little) or ask ‘Könnten Sie mir sagen, wie weit das ist?’ (Could you tell me how far that is?). In southern Germany and Austria, you’ll also hear ‘weit weg von hier’ as a more colloquial way to stress a longer distance.