Meaning of 最近
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- recently
- soon
- nearest
How to use 最近
最近 most often means "recently" or "lately" and usually goes before the verb or at the start of a sentence. It can also mean "nearest" when it describes a place. Example: 你最近忙吗？(Nǐ zuìjìn máng ma?) Have you been busy lately?
最 (zuì) means "most" and 近 (jìn) means "near," so 最近 is the "most near" time or place. Think of the days closest to today: that is "recently."
Common mistake: Learners often put 最近 at the end of the sentence like English "lately." Say 我最近很累 (wǒ zuìjìn hěn lèi), not 我很累最近. Also keep both syllables in the fourth tone: zuì and jìn, not jǐn.
最近 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.
最 zuì · to the highest degree · 12 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
近 jìn · near · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 最近.
| 最好 | zuìhǎo | best; had better ...; it would be best to ... |
| 最后 | zuìhòu | final; last; ultimate; finally; in the end |
| 接近 | jiējìn | to approach; to get close to |
| 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 |
| 最初 | zuìchū | first; primary |
| 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 |
| 近来 | jìnlái | recently; lately |
| 最终 | zuìzhōng | final; ultimate |
| 最佳 | zuìjiā | optimum; optimal |
Questions about 最近
What does 最近 mean?
最近 (zuìjìn) means "recently; soon" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 最近?
最近 is made of 2 characters: 最 (12 strokes), 近 (7 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 最近 an HSK word?
Yes. 最近 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 最近 talk about the near future?
Yes, 最近 can mean "in the coming days," as in 我最近要去北京 (wǒ zuìjìn yào qù Běijīng), I am going to Beijing soon. Context and words like 要 show it points forward. For a more formal "near future," 近期 (jìnqī) is common.
How do I say "the nearest" place with 最近?
Use 最近 + 的 + noun, for example 最近的地铁站 (zuìjìn de dìtiězhàn), the nearest subway station. You can also say 离这儿最近 (lí zhèr zuìjìn), closest to here. If you just mean "nearby," use 附近 (fùjìn).