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German Phrase

Ja, sie stehen direkt nebeneinander.

/jaː ˈziː ˈʃteːən diˈʁɛkt ˈneːbənaɪ̯nɐ/
Meaning"Yes, they stand right next to each other."
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Meaning

The sentence confirms that two or more people or objects are positioned side by side, with no gap in between. The word direkt adds the nuance of “right next to each other”, emphasizing the closeness.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to answer a question about the arrangement of items, people, or furniture, e.g., after someone asks whether two chairs are placed together, or when describing how two friends are standing in a line.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Ja,siestehendirektnebeneinander.

1

Ja (affirmation)

Ja means “yes” and is often used to confirm a statement or answer a question.

2

sie (personal pronoun)

In this sentence sie refers to “they” (third‑person plural).

3

stehen (verb, 3rd person plural)

Stehen is the present‑tense form of stehen “to stand”. With a plural subject the ending is –en.

4

Verb‑second (V2) word order

Because Ja is placed at the front, the finite verb must occupy the second position: Ja, sie stehen …

5

direkt (adverb)

Direkt modifies the following adverb nebeneinander and means “right” or “directly”.

6

nebeneinander (compound adverb)

Nebeneinander literally means “next to each other” and is written as one word.

🗨In Conversation

A

Stehen die Stühle nebeneinander?

Are the chairs next to each other?

Ja, sie stehen direkt nebeneinander.

Yes, they stand right next to each other.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ja, sie steht direkt nebeneinander.

    The verb must agree with the plural subject; “steht” is singular.

  • Ja, sie stehen direkt neben einander.

    Do not split the compound adverb; it must be written as one word.

  • Ja, sie stehen direkt neben einander.

    While “direkt neben” is understandable, the idiomatic phrase is “direkt nebeneinander”.

↔Alternatives

  • Ja, sie stehen direkt nebeneinander.

    Yes, they stand right next to each other.

  • Ja, sie stehen unmittelbar nebeneinander.

    Yes, they stand immediately next to each other.

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Cultural Tip

German speakers often prefer concise statements. Adding direkt is common when you want to stress that there is no space between the items. In formal contexts you might replace “Ja” with “Genau” (exactly) or “Richtig”. Also note that nebeneinander is always written as one word; splitting it (nebeneinander) is a frequent error for learners.