近

近 (jìn) means 'near' or 'close' in distance, time, or relationship. The most common pattern is 离 A 近 ('be close to A') — for example, 我家离学校很近 ('my home is close to school'). Note that the structure 'A is close to B' becomes 'A 离 B 近' in Chinese, with 离 ('away from') marking the reference point — the opposite of English word order. 近 also extends metaphorically to time (最近 = 'recently'), to relationships (我们关系很近 = 'we're very close'), and to similarity (近似 = 'similar'). It is often paired with 远 (yuǎn, 'far') for contrast: 远近 (distance, near-and-far). Beware the homophone 进 (jìn, 'to enter') — same sound, same tone, totally different meaning. In speech, 近 is usually intensified: 很近 ('very close'), 不近 ('not close').

Memory hook: Walk radical 辶 + 斤 (axe / catty) — only a short walk away, like the distance you'd carry an axe. Same radical as 进 (enter), so beware the mix-up.