近い

ちかい

near, close by, short

i-adjective

Conjugation Table

Present

近い

Negative

近くない

Past

近かった

Past Negative

近くなかった

Te Form

近くて

Adverbial

近く

Conditional

近ければ

Presumptive

近いでしょう

Example Sentences

駅は近いです。

The station is near.

Eki wa chikai desu.

昨日、図書館は近くなかったです。

Yesterday, the library was not close.

Kinou, toshokan wa chikaku nakatta desu.

家が近くて、便利です。

My house is close, so it's convenient.

Ie ga chikakute, benri desu.

Grammar Notes & Usage Tips

•Particle Pairing:** When using 近い (ちかい) to describe proximity to a location, pair it with the particle に, like in 学校に近い (がっこうにちかい), meaning "close to the school." This helps specify the place you're referring to.

•Conjugation Cues:** As an i-adjective, 近い follows regular i-adjective rules, so to say something "isn't near," simply change it to 近くない (ちかくない), and for "was near," use 近かった (ちかかった).

•Comparing Distance:** When comparing distances, use ほうが to express preference, like この店のほうが近い (このみせのほうがちかい), meaning "This store is closer."

•Avoid Common Errors:** Remember that 近い is an adjective, not a verb, so don't mistakenly use it as an action; instead, describe the subject or object, such as 駅が近い (えきがちかい), meaning "The station is near."

•い-adjective: Conjugates by changing the い ending