near, close

About this kanji

The kanji 近 means "near" or "close." It is used both as a noun and a verb in everyday conversation. For example, 近所 (きんじょ) means "neighborhood," referring to the area close to where someone lives. The word 近い (ちかい) means "near," which you can use to describe distance. If you want to say "recently," you use 最近 (さいきん), which combines the idea of "near" with time. You can also use the verb 近づく (ちかづく), which means "to approach." A quick note: while the concept of physical closeness is common, this kanji can also refer to emotional closeness or recent time frames.

Example sentences

• 駅は近いです。

  The station is close.

Meanings across languages

English

near, close

Tiếng Việt

gần, sát

日本語

近い, 近く

한국어

가까운

中文

近

id

dekat, dekat

th

ใกล้

es

cerca, cercano

fr

près, proche

de

nahe, eng

pt

perto, próximo

Common compounds

• 近所きんじょneighborhood
• 近いちかいnear, close
• 最近さいきんrecently, nowadays
• 近づくちかづくto approach, to get near