Learn a Chinese Character - 近

1. Character Basics

Radical: 辶/chuò (walking radical)

Stroke Count: 7

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jìn (fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Near, close, approaching, recent

4. Common Words

• 附近 (fù jìn): Nearby, vicinity
• 最近 (zuì jìn): Recently, lately
• 接近 (jiē jìn): To approach, to get close to
• 亲近 (qīn jìn): Intimate, close
• 近视 (jìn shì): Nearsightedness, myopia
• 远近闻名 (yuǎn jìn wén míng): Famous far and wide

5. Grammar & Usage

As an adjective:
- 近处 (jìn chù): Nearby places
- 很近 (hěn jìn): Very close

As a verb:
- 靠近 (kào jìn): To come close to
- 接近事实 (jiē jìn shì shí): To approach the truth

As an adverb:
- 近期 (jìn qī): Recently, in the near future
- 近况 (jìn kuàng): Recent situation

In idioms:
- 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 (jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi): Near vermilion one gets red, near ink one gets black - One takes on the characteristics of one's company
- 远亲不如近邻 (yuǎn qīn bù rú jìn lín): A distant relative is not as good as a near neighbor
- 近水楼台先得月 (jìn shuǐ lóu tái xiān dé yuè): The pavilion near the water gets the moonlight first - Those in advantageous positions gain benefits first

Usage patterns:
- Often used with方位词 (direction words): 近东 (Near East), 近南 (near south)
- Can be combined with 来表示时间接近: 近期 (recent period), 近来 (lately)

6. Cultural Background

The character 近 holds significant cultural meaning in Chinese society:

Confucian philosophy:
- The concept of 近 in Confucian thought emphasizes the importance of cultivating close relationships first before extending to others
- 修身齐家治国平天下 (self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, world peace)体现了由近及远的理念
(The idea of cultivating oneself first, then family, then state, then world体现了由近及远的理念)

Spatial relationships:
- Traditional Chinese culture places importance on the concept of 远近亲疏 (distance and intimacy)
- Social interactions often consider the proximity of relationships in terms of family, friends, and community

Proverbial wisdom:
- Many Chinese proverbs use 近 to convey lessons about human relationships and behavior
- 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 (Near vermilion one gets red, near ink one gets black) teaches about the influence of one's environment

Modern significance:
- The character remains widely used in contemporary Chinese to describe physical and metaphorical proximity
- In the digital age, 近 has also taken on new meanings related to connectivity and accessibility

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

Character breakdown:
- 辶 (chuò, walking radical) on the bottom and right
- 斤 (jīn, axe) in the middle

Mnemonic:
Imagine walking (辶) with an axe (斤) towards something nearby - the radical 辶 suggests movement towards, while 斤 gives the pronunciation and helps with memorization.

Visual association:
The walking radical 辶 at the bottom gives the character a sense of movement or direction towards something close by, which matches its meaning of nearness or proximity.