What is the Kanji for "Near"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Near", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Near" is "近".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Chika".

Its onyomi reading is "Kin".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "斤" means "Loaf", "Loaves", "Bread loaf counter", and "Axe" and can be read as "Kin". And The radical "⻌" means "Walk" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "近" mean in japanese?

"近" means "Near".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

近く: "Near". The adverb '近く (ちかく)' means 'near'. This adverb is used to indicate spatial proximity, describing something that is physically close or in close proximity to another object or location. It can also be used to express temporal nearness, as in '近く来る' (to come near). For example: The store is near - (店が近く). He lives near the park - (彼は公園の近くに住んでいる).

最近: "Recently". The noun '最近 (さいきん)' means 'recently'. It is used to refer to a period of time that is not too distant from the present. It can be used to talk about events, trends, or changes that have occurred in the recent past. For example: I've been feeling tired recently - (最近疲れがち). She started a new job recently - (彼女は最近新しい仕事を始めた).

近い: "Close". The Japanese adjective '近い (ちかい)' means 'close'. This adjective is used to describe something that is physically near or not far away. It can be used to describe the distance between two objects, the proximity of a location, or the closeness of a relationship. For example: The store is close to my house - (お店は私の家に近い). She is a close friend - (彼女は私の近い友人です).

近代: "Modern". The Japanese noun '近代 (きんだい)' refers to the 'modern' period or era, usually referring to the time period from the late 19th century to the present day. It represents the more recent, contemporary or up-to-date state of things, as opposed to the traditional or historical. This word is often used to denote the modern age of industrialization, technology, and social and political changes. For example: Modern Japan - (近代日本). The modern age - (近代)

近付く: "Approach". The Japanese verb '近付く (ちかづく)' means 'to approach'. This verb is used to indicate that someone or something is moving closer to a person, object, or location. It can be used in both literal and figurative senses. For example: The bus is approaching the station - (バスが駅に近付いている). As the deadline approaches, I feel more anxious - (締め切りが近付くにつれ、より不安になってきます).

近所: "Neighborhood". The Japanese noun '近所 (きんじょ)' refers to the area or district around one's home or place of residence. It indicates the immediate environment or locality in close proximity to where someone lives. This word is commonly used when discussing one's local community, nearby shops/facilities, or interactions with neighbors. For example: My neighborhood has a lot of old people - (私の近所には高齢者が多い). Let's go for a walk around the neighborhood - (近所を散歩しましょう).

付近: "Vicinity". The noun '付近 (ふきん)' refers to an area that is close to or surrounding a particular location. It can be translated as 'vicinity', 'proximity', or 'surroundings'. This word is commonly used to describe the area around a place, such as: The store is located in the vicinity of the park - (その店は公園の付近にあります). The house is in the vicinity of the school - (その家は学校の付近にあります).

接近: "Approach". The verbal noun '接近(せっきん)' means 'approach'. It refers to the act of moving towards or getting closer to something or someone. This word can be used to describe physical proximity, as well as more abstract ideas of getting nearer to a goal or situation. For example: The typhoon is approaching the coast - (台風が沿岸に接近している). We are approaching the deadline - (期限に接近している).

近年: "Recent years". The noun '近年 (きんねん)' refers to the most recent years or the recent past. It is used to describe a period of time that is not very long ago, typically within the last several years. For example: In recent years, the population has grown significantly - (近年、人口が大幅に増加しています). The technology has advanced rapidly in recent years - (近年、技術が急速に進歩してきました).

身近: "Close". The Japanese adjectival noun '身近 (みぢか)' means 'close'. It is used to describe something or someone that is close, nearby, or easily accessible. This word often carries a sense of personal connection or familiarity, such as close friends or a close relationship. For example: This issue is very close to my heart - (この問題は私にとって非常に身近だ). I have a close colleague who helps me a lot - (私には仕事で助けてくれる身近な同僚がいる).

近眼: "Nearsightedness". The Japanese noun '近眼 (きんがん)' means 'nearsightedness'. This refers to a vision condition where distant objects appear blurred while close objects are seen clearly. Nearsightedness is caused by the eyeball being slightly too long or the cornea having too much curvature, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of on it. For example: I have nearsightedness - (私は近眼です). He needs glasses for his nearsightedness - (彼は近眼のためメガネが必要です).

間近: "Near". The adjectival noun '間近 (まぢか)' means 'near'. It is used to describe something that is close in proximity or distance. This word emphasizes the closeness or proximity of the object or event being described. For example: The store is near - (その店は間近). The event is near - (その出来事は間近).

近道: "Shortcut". The Japanese noun '近道 (ちかみち)' means 'shortcut'. This word refers to a route or path that is more direct and saves time compared to the usual or expected route. It can be used to describe a physical path that is shorter than the main road, or it can be used metaphorically to refer to a quicker or more efficient way of achieving a goal. For example: Let's take the shortcut to get there faster - (そこに早く着くため近道を取ろう). This is the shortcut to success - (これが成功への近道だ).

近世: "Early modern". The Japanese noun '近世 (きんせい)' refers to the 'early modern' period in Japanese history, spanning from the 17th to the 19th century. This period is characterized by the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate and the gradual modernization of Japan. Example sentences: Japan entered the early modern period in the 17th century - (日本は17世紀に近世に入った). The Edo period is part of the early modern era in Japan - (江戸時代は日本の近世の一部である).

近頃: "Recently". The noun '近頃 (ちかごろ)' means 'recently'. It refers to a period of time that is close to the present, usually within the last few days, weeks or months. This word can be used to describe events, trends or changes that have happened in the recent past. For example: Recently, the weather has been rainy - (近頃、天気が雨が多い). I have been feeling tired lately - (近頃、疲れを感じる).

近寄る: "Approach". The Japanese verb '近寄る (ちかよる)' means 'to approach'. This verb is used to describe the action of moving closer to something or someone. It can be used in both literal and figurative contexts. For example: The cat slowly approached me - (猫がゆっくり私に近寄った). I'm going to approach the topic carefully - (慎重にその話題に近寄る).

近付ける: "Bring close". The Japanese verb '近付ける (ちかづける)' means 'to bring close'. This verb is used to indicate the action of moving something or someone closer to something else. It can be used to describe physical proximity as well as figurative closeness. For example: She brought the book closer to her - (彼女は本をより近づけた). I need to bring the chair closer to the table - (椅子をテーブルにより近づける必要がある).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "き" is read as "ki". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "ち" is read as "chi". And The hiragana "か" is read as "ka".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.