近 — how to write the kanji for “near”
近 means “near”, “early” and “akin”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 194th most used kanji. Its ⻌ (“walking”) sits on the left but is written last, strokes 5–7 of 7. KANJIDIC2 files it under the radical 辵 (“walk”). Its common words take the reading kin: 最近 (“recently”), 付近 (“neighborhood”), 近代 (“present day”) and 側近 (“close aide”). Chinese reads it jìn, “near”, at HSK 2.
- Strokes
- 7
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 辵 (“walk”)
- On
- キン, コン
- Kun
- ちか·い
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Its parts sit one inside another: 斤 (“axe”), strokes 1–4; ⻌ (“walking”), strokes 5–7, each finished before the next.
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdown and left
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Vertical ㇑rightdownwards
- Dot ㇔top leftdown and right
- Horizontal, turn, turn, left-falling ㇋leftrightwards → downwards
- Right-falling stroke ㇏bottom leftrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 7 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
The trap in 近
Write 斤 (“axe”) first, strokes 1–4, and finish with ⻌ (“walking”), strokes 5–7.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- キン kin, コン kon (rare)
- Kun (native)
- ちか·い chika-i
- Meanings
- near; early; akin; tantamount
- Read kin
- 最近 付近 近代 側近 近年 近所
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 194th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 근 geun
- Common words
- 37 in JMdict
Words with 近
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最近 | さいきん saikin | recently; lately |
| 付近 | ふきん fukin | neighborhood; neighbourhood |
| 近代 | きんだい kindai | present day; modern times |
| 側近 | そっきん sokkin | close aide; close associate |
| 近年 | きんねん kinnen | recent years |
| 近所 | きんじょ kinjo | neighbourhood; neighborhood |
| 近畿 | きんき kinki | Kinki (region around Osaka, Kyoto, Nara) |
| 近郊 | きんこう kinkou | outskirts; environs |
| 近隣 | きんりん kinrin | neighbourhood; neighborhood |
| 接近 | せっきん sekkin | getting closer; drawing nearer |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: