Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Near; close: Located at a short distance in space. Indicates proximity between objects, places, or people.
   • Almost; nearly: Indicating that a point in time, a state, or a quantity is close to being reached or completed.
   • Similar; close: Having many points of resemblance or compatibility; not very different.
   • Closely related: Sharing a common ancestor with only a few generations of separation (used in specific contexts like family relations).
   • Approachable; easy to be with: Describing a person who is easy to interact with or get to know.

2. Verb (colloquial):

   • To be close to; to have a good relationship with: To maintain a good, understanding, and sympathetic relationship, often with subordinates or the masses.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Spatial):
  • Cửa hàng ở gần chợ. (The shop is near the market.)
  • Ngồi xích lại gần nhau. (Move your chairs to sit closer to each other.)
• Adjective (Temporal/State):
  • Trời gần sáng. (Dawn is nearly here.)
  • Việc làm gần xong. (The job is nearly finished.)
• Adjective (Quantity/Similarity):
  • Sách dày gần 400 trang. (The book is nearly 400 pages thick.)
  • Quan điểm của hai bên gần nhau. (The viewpoints of the two sides are similar.)
• Verb:
  • Một người dễ gần. (An approachable person.)
  • Sống giản dị, gần anh em. (Live simply and be close to your comrades.)

Advanced Usage

• "gần như": almost; nearly; practically. Used to indicate something is very close to a state or condition.
  • Đi nhanh gần như chạy. (Walk so fast it's almost running.)
• "gần gũi": to be intimate, close-knit, or familiar with.
  • Anh ấy rất gần gũi với thiên nhiên. (He feels very close to nature.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gần xa (phrase): near and far; everywhere.
  • Tiếng lành đồn gần xa. (Good news spreads far and wide.)
• Cận (adj): a Sino-Vietnamese word often used in compounds to mean "near" or "close," e.g., (nearsighted), (imminent).

Synonyms

• Adj (Spatial): nearby, close by, adjacent.
• Adj (Temporal/State): almost, nearly, about, approximately.
• Adj (Similarity): similar, alike, comparable.
• Verb: to approach, to befriend.

Related Idioms

• Gần mực thì đen, gần đèn thì sáng: Literally "Near ink, it's black; near a lamp, it's bright." Meaning one is influenced by one's company.
  • Cha mẹ lo con chơi với bạn xấu, vì gần mực thì đen. (Parents worry their child plays with bad friends, because bad company corrupts.)
• Gần nhà xa ngõ: Literally "The house is near but the alley is far." Meaning something seems accessible but is complicated to reach.
  • Muốn gặp giám đốc cũng khó, đúng là gần nhà xa ngõ. (It's hard to meet the director; it's a case of so near yet so far.)

adj

1. near; next to
   • việc làm gần xong
     the job is near completion
2. Nearly; about
   • gần hai chục cuốn sách
     nearly twenty books