Kortbij

Kortbij is a Dutch adverb that means "nearby" or "in the immediate vicinity." It is used to describe physical proximity to a place or person and is common in everyday speech in the Netherlands and Flanders. In many contexts it functions similarly to dichtbij, vlakbij, or nabij, but it can carry a slightly more informal or colloquial tone than dichterbij.

The term combines kort (short) and bij (by/near). It historically indicated something within a short distance, and today it is mainly used to express spatial proximity rather than time, with concrete locations as the usual reference point.

Usage tends to be predicative, as in "De halte is kortbij," and it can appear in sentences describing how close a place is to the speaker or another reference point. It is more often used in spoken language; in some regional varieties it may be preferred over dichterbij or vlakbij, while in formal writing dichterbij is often considered more neutral.

Examples include: "De supermarkt is kortbij." "We wonen kortbij de school." "Het café is kortbij ons huis." In each case kortbij highlights that the location is easily accessible or within a short distance.

See also: nabij, dichtbij, vlakbij, dichtbij.