Meaning of 接近
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to approach; to get close to
How to use 接近
接近 can mean physically getting close to a place or person, and it is also very common with numbers, times, and states, meaning "almost" or "close to". Example: 现在接近十二点了。(Xiànzài jiējìn shí'èr diǎn le.) It is almost twelve o'clock now.
接 (jiē) means to connect or meet, and 近 (jìn) means near. Put them together and you get coming near enough to meet something, which is to approach.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 接近 with 最近 (zuìjìn). 最近 means "recently" and is about time, while 接近 is a verb meaning to approach or be close to something. Also keep the tones straight: jiē is first tone and jìn is fourth tone.
接近 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.
接 jiē · to receive · 11 strokes
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近 jìn · near · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 接近.
| 接受 | jiēshòu | to accept (a suggestion, punishment, bribe etc); to acquiesce |
| 最近 | zuìjìn | recently; soon |
| 直接 | zhíjiē | directly; direct |
| 接下来 | jiē xiàlái | to accept; to take |
| 接着 | jiēzhe | to catch and hold on; to continue |
| 接到 | jiēdào | to receive (letter etc) |
| 迎接 | yíngjiē | to welcome; to greet |
| 接待 | jiēdài | to receive; to entertain; to host (guests, visitors or clients) |
| 将近 | jiāngjìn | almost; nearly |
| 近期 | jìnqī | near in time; in the near future |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby; neighboring; (in the) vicinity (of); neighborhood |
| 近代 | jìndài | the not-very-distant past; modern times, excluding recent decades |
Questions about 接近
What does 接近 mean?
接近 (jiējìn) means "to approach; to get close to" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 接近?
接近 is made of 2 characters: 接 (11 strokes), 近 (7 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 接近 an HSK word?
Yes. 接近 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 接近 describe being close to a person emotionally?
Yes. 他很难接近 (tā hěn nán jiējìn) means "he is hard to get close to" or "he is not very approachable". It can describe both physical and social closeness.
What is the difference between 接近 and 靠近 (kàojìn)?
靠近 is mostly about physical position, like moving next to a wall or a window. 接近 is broader and is often used for abstract things like numbers, goals, or levels, as in 接近完成 (jiējìn wánchéng), nearly finished.