Meaning of 将近
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- almost
- nearly
- close to
How to use 将近
将近 usually comes right before a number or quantity to show the real amount is a little less than that number. Example: 我等了将近一个小时。(Wǒ děng le jiāngjìn yí ge xiǎoshí.) I waited for almost an hour.
将 (jiāng) means "about to" and 近 (jìn) means "near." Put them together and a number is "about to be near" a certain amount, so 将近 means almost or close to.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 将近 with 接近 (jiējìn). 接近 is a verb meaning to approach, as in 接近目标, while 将近 normally sits directly before a number. Also keep 将 in the first tone, jiāng. Do not read it as jiàng.
将近 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
将 jiāng · will · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
近 jìn · near · 7 strokes
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- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 将近.
| 最近 | zuìjìn | recently; soon |
| 接近 | jiējìn | to approach; to get close to |
| 将来 | jiānglái | in the future; future |
| 近期 | jìnqī | near in time; in the near future |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby; neighboring; (in the) vicinity (of); neighborhood |
| 即将 | jíjiāng | about to; on the point of; soon |
| 近代 | jìndài | the not-very-distant past; modern times, excluding recent decades |
| 靠近 | kàojìn | to be close to; to approach; to draw near |
| 将要 | jiāngyào | will; shall |
| 近来 | jìnlái | recently; lately |
| 将军 | jiāngjūn | general; high-ranking military officer |
| 必将 | bìjiāng | inevitably |
Questions about 将近
What does 将近 mean?
将近 (jiāngjìn) means "almost; nearly" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 将近?
将近 is made of 2 characters: 将 (9 strokes), 近 (7 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 将近 an HSK word?
Yes. 将近 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 将近 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 将近 is written 將近.
What is the difference between 将近 and 差不多?
将近 means slightly less than the number, and it sounds a bit more formal. 差不多 (chàbuduō) is more casual and can mean a little more or a little less. 差不多 can also mean "similar," but 将近 cannot.
Can 将近 be used without a number?
Usually it is followed by a number or a time amount, such as 将近十年 (jiāngjìn shí nián, nearly ten years). Sometimes it appears before a time point, as in 将近中午 (jiāngjìn zhōngwǔ, close to noon).