JLPT N4 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
近 means near, close. It is a JLPT N4 kanji written in 7 strokes, read ちか or きん. It combines ⻌ (road, advance), which carries the meaning, with 斤, which is there for its sound きん. It appears in 近い (near / close by / short) and 近く (nearby).
近 is written in 7 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
近 breaks into 2 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 近い | ちかい | near / close by / short |
| 近く | ちかく | nearby |
| 最近 | さいきん | recently / lately |
斤 tends to carry the sound きん. They carry it; they do not all mean the same thing.
| Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 斤 | きん | axe, 1.32 lb |
| 近 | きん | near, early |
| 芹 | きん | parsley |
These use 斤 or ⻌ too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
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