Meaning
将近 is an adverb used to indicate that a number, amount, or time is approaching but has not quite reached a certain value. It emphasizes proximity to a particular quantity or point, often suggesting that the actual figure is slightly less than what follows.
Usage
将近 is typically placed before numbers, time expressions, or quantities to indicate approximation. It's commonly used in both spoken and written Mandarin and has a neutral register. Unlike 差不多 (which can be more casual), 将近 sounds slightly more precise and formal, though still conversational.
Examples
- 01他学中文已经将近五年了。.He has been studying Chinese for nearly five years.
- 02这本书将近三百页，需要一周才能读完。, .This book is nearly three hundred pages long; it will take a week to finish reading.
Characters
Common collocations
- 将近一半nearly half
- 将近十年nearly ten years
- 将近一百nearly one hundred
- 将近两个小时nearly two hours
Origin
The word combines 将 (about to, on the verge of) with 近 (near, close), creating a compound that literally means 'approaching nearness' or 'getting close to.' This construction emphasizes the imminent approach to a certain quantity or state.