About
近 is a phonosemantic compound: the left-side radical 辶 (chuò, 'walking') signals movement, while the right-side 斤 (jīn) provides the pronunciation. Its core meaning is physical nearness, a short distance between two points. This sense naturally extends to temporal closeness, covering the recent past and immediate future, and to interpersonal proximity, including intimacy and kinship. As a result, 近 efficiently expresses closeness across space, time, and relationships.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
学校离我家很近。
最近天气很好。
附近有一个公园。
走近一点看看。
近年来科技发展很快。
他的观点近似于我的。
由于疫情，近期的会议都取消了。
在近代历史上，中国经历了巨大变化。
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.