近 jìn — near; close (to); approximately
我家离学校很近。Wǒ jiā lí xué xiào hěn jìn.My home is very close to the school.
Common words: 最近 (zuì jìn)、附近 (fù jìn)、接近 (jiē jìn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "near"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "near", including 近 (jìn), 靠 (kào), 促 (cù). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "near" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 近 (jìn), 靠 (kào), 促 (cù) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jìn, kào, cù — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 近 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 近 jìnnear; close (to); approximatelyUseful words: 最近, 附近
- 靠 kàodepend upon; lean on; near; by; against; to supportUseful words: 可靠, 依靠
- 促 cùto hurry; to rush; to hasten; near; to promoteUseful words: 促进, 促使
Common words for these 3 "near" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 近 (jìn) — so "near" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
最近zuì jìnrecently; soon; nearest附近fù jìnnearby; neighboring; (in the) vicinity (of); neighborhood接近jiē jìnto approach; to get close to可靠kě kàoreliable依靠yī kàoto rely on sth (for support etc); to depend on靠近kào jìnto be close to; to approach; to draw near促进cù jìnto promote (an idea or cause); to advance; boost促使cù shǐto prompt; to induce; to spur促销cù xiāoto promote sales
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "near".
靠 kào — depend upon; lean on; near; by; against; to support
累了就靠在椅子上休息一会儿。Lèi le jiù kào zài yǐ zi shàng xiū xi yí huìr.When you are tired, lean on the chair and rest a while.
Common words: 可靠 (kě kào)、依靠 (yī kào)、靠近 (kào jìn)
促 cù — to hurry; to rush; to hasten; near; to promote
老师的鼓励促使我更加努力。Lǎo shī de gǔ lì cù shǐ wǒ gèng jiā nǔ lì.The teacher encouragement prompted me to work even harder.
Common words: 促进 (cù jìn)、促使 (cù shǐ)、促销 (cù xiāo)
All 3 characters
Open 近、靠、促 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.