近
Near
| on’yomi | kun’yomi | Radicals |
|---|---|---|
| きん | ちか.い | 斤 +  |
Meaning: Near
The water slide with axes flowing down it instead of water is near your house!
Imagine it right next to your house. People are lining up to use it, but to you it’s just an eyesore because you have to look at the dumb thing everyday. It’s so near, too! Literally the next lot over.
Reading: きん
The problem with how near the axe water slide is to your home is that your kin (きん) is always wanting to come over to your house so they can go ride it – they don’t actually want to see you, they just want to ride the awesome axe water slide.
Imagine your “kin” as a bunch of stereotypical hillbillies. At least, that’s what I think when I think of the word “kin.”
Vocabulary
Most of these have to do with something being nearby or close!
a 近い（ちかい）＝ Near
- This can be anything. Time, physical, and so on. It’s a really flexible word!
a 近づく（ちかづく）＝ Approach
a 近々（ちかじか）＝ Before Long
- 近 (close) + 々 (repeater kanji)
a 近日（きんじつ）＝ Soon
- 近 (close) + 日 (day)
a 近年（きんねん）＝ Recent Years
- 近 (close) + 年 (year)
When you know the meaning, the on’yomi, and the meanings of the vocab words, you can move on to the next kanji.