When something is 身近な (mijika na), it means it's very familiar to you, something you encounter in your daily life or feel a personal connection to. It’s not distant or abstract, but rather close to your experience. For example, if you're talking about 身近な問題 (mijika na mondai), you're referring to problems that directly affect you or your community. This word emphasizes a sense of proximity and relevance to one's personal sphere.
身近な 30 सेकंड में
- familiar
- close to home
- personal
Let's learn a very useful Japanese adjective: “身近な” (mika na). This word is rated CEFR B1, so it’s something you’ll encounter frequently in everyday Japanese. It literally means “close to one's body” or “intimate,” but in practice, it covers a broader range of meanings like “familiar,” “close to home,” or “personal.” Think of it as describing something that feels near to you, not just physically, but also emotionally or in terms of your experience.
So, when do people use 身近な? They use it to talk about things that are easily relatable, things that you often see or experience, or topics that are relevant to your daily life. It’s about proximity in a broader sense – not just physical distance. For example, if you're talking about environmental issues, you might say “身近な環境問題” to refer to problems that directly affect your local community or personal life, rather than abstract global issues.
- DEFINITION
- Familiar, close to home, personal.
Let’s break down its nuances a bit more:
- Familiar: This is probably the most common meaning. It refers to something you know well, something you’re accustomed to. This could be a person, a place, a topic, or even a concept.
- Close to home: This implies something that is directly relevant to one's personal life, surroundings, or experiences. It hits close to where you are, literally or figuratively.
- Personal: In this context, it often means something that feels individual or directly connected to you, making it easy to understand or relate to.
Consider these examples to get a better feel for it:
§ Examples of 身近な
それは私たちにとってもとても身近な問題です。
Translation hint: “That is a very 身近な problem for us.” (Meaning: a very familiar/relevant/personal problem for us.)
彼は彼女にとっては身近な存在です。
Translation hint: “He is a 身近な presence to her.” (Meaning: He is a familiar/close presence to her.)
もっと身近な例で説明してください。
Translation hint: “Please explain with more 身近な examples.” (Meaning: more familiar/relatable examples.)
You can see how 身近な” adds a sense of personal connection and ease of understanding to the noun it modifies. It makes abstract concepts more concrete and distant things more approachable. Mastering this word will significantly improve your ability to express subtleties in Japanese, making your conversations sound much more natural. Keep an eye out for it in Japanese media, and try using it yourself when discussing topics that feel relevant or familiar to you!
§ Don't confuse with 親しい (shitashii)
While both 身近な (mijika na) and 親しい (shitashii) can refer to things that are close, their nuances are different. 親しい (shitashii) specifically implies a close personal relationship or intimacy with people. You wouldn't use 親しい (shitashii) for an object or a concept being familiar.
- DEFINITION
- 親しい (shitashii): Close (in a personal relationship), intimate.
彼とは親しい友人です。
Hint: He is a close friend.
これは私にとって身近な問題です。
Hint: This is a problem familiar to me (or close to home).
§ Not interchangeable with 近い (chikai) for 'physical closeness' only
While 身近な (mijika na) can imply physical proximity in the sense of being 'around you', its primary focus is on familiarity and personal relevance. 近い (chikai) is the more general term for physical closeness or proximity.
- DEFINITION
- 近い (chikai): Close, near (physically).
駅はここから近いです。
Hint: The station is close from here.
これは私にとって身近な話題です。
Hint: This is a topic familiar to me (or a personal topic).
§ Using it only for positive familiarity
身近な (mijika na) generally has a neutral or slightly positive connotation, indicating something is common, accessible, or part of one's everyday life. However, it can also be used in contexts that aren't strictly 'positive' but still denote familiarity or relevance.
Don't limit 身近な (mijika na) to only pleasant things. It can describe a familiar problem or a common issue.
It describes the state of being 'around' or 'known' to someone, not necessarily liked.
これは多くの人にとって身近な悩みです。
Hint: This is a problem familiar to many people (or a common concern).
स्तर के अनुसार उदाहरण
これは私の身近な店です。
This is my familiar/local store.
身近なもので料理を作ります。
I cook with familiar/available ingredients.
身近な場所で散歩しました。
I took a walk in a familiar/nearby place.
彼は身近な友人です。
He is a close friend (to me).
身近な出来事について話しましょう。
Let's talk about familiar/everyday events.
私の身近な趣味は読書です。
My familiar/personal hobby is reading.
身近な問題を解決したいです。
I want to solve familiar/personal problems.
身近な人々に感謝します。
I am grateful to familiar/close people.
これは私にとって身近な問題です。
This is a familiar problem for me.
彼女は身近な人です。
She is a close person (to me).
身近な例を挙げてください。
Please give a familiar example.
身近な話題で話しましょう。
Let's talk about a familiar topic.
身近な場所で買い物します。
I shop in nearby/familiar places.
身近なものから学びましょう。
Let's learn from familiar things.
彼は身近な存在です。
He is a close presence (to me).
身近な食べ物は何ですか？
What are your familiar/favorite foods?
その俳優は身近な存在になり、多くのファンに愛されています。
That actor has become a familiar presence and is loved by many fans.
最近のニュースは、私たちの身近な生活に直接影響する問題が多いです。
Many recent news stories involve issues that directly affect our familiar, daily lives.
彼女は身近な出来事を題材に、心温まる小説を書きます。
She writes heartwarming novels using familiar events as themes.
インターネットのおかげで、遠い国の文化も身近に感じられるようになりました。
Thanks to the internet, cultures from distant countries now feel familiar.
この公園は、地域の人々にとって身近な憩いの場です。
This park is a familiar place of relaxation for local residents.
環境問題は、もはや他人事ではなく、身近な問題として捉えるべきです。
Environmental problems are no longer someone else's business; they should be seen as familiar problems.
彼は身近な友人にもその秘密を打ち明けませんでした。
He didn't confide that secret even to his familiar friends.
スマートフォンの普及により、テクノロジーはより身近なものになりました。
With the spread of smartphones, technology has become more familiar.
この美術館は私の身近な場所にあり、よく訪れます。
This museum is in a familiar place for me, and I visit it often.
最近、身近な人が病気で入院しました。心配です。
Recently, someone close to me was hospitalized with an illness. I'm worried.
環境問題は、私たちの身近な生活に深く関わっています。
Environmental issues are deeply connected to our daily lives.
彼は身近な話題から始めて、徐々に難しい話へと進んでいった。
He started with familiar topics and gradually moved on to more difficult conversations.
この製品は、身近な材料を使って作られているため、手に入れやすい。
This product is made using common materials, so it's easy to obtain.
身近な人とのコミュニケーションは、心の健康に重要です。
Communication with those close to you is important for mental health.
彼は身近な出来事をユーモラスに語り、聴衆を笑わせた。
He spoke humorously about everyday occurrences and made the audience laugh.
身近な例を挙げて説明すると、理解しやすくなるでしょう。
Explaining with familiar examples will make it easier to understand.
अक्सर इससे भ्रम होता है
This is the adverbial form of 身近な, meaning 'closely', 'familiarly', or 'at hand'. It describes how something is experienced or kept.
This is a more formal way to say 'it is familiar/close to home', often used in writing.
While often confused, 親しい focuses on interpersonal closeness. Remember 身近な can apply to things and concepts too.
आसानी से भ्रमित होने वाले
Both 身近な and 近い can mean 'close'. However, 近い generally refers to physical proximity or a short distance.
身近な implies a personal connection, something that is familiar or relatable to one's daily life, often not physically close. 近い is about spatial or temporal closeness.
駅が近い (えきがちかい): The station is close. (physical distance) 身近な話題 (みぢかなわだい): A familiar topic. (personal relevance)
Both can describe a close relationship. 親しい often refers to close personal relationships with people.
身近な can apply to objects, topics, or concepts that are familiar and relevant to one's life, not just people. 親しい is more specifically for close interpersonal relationships.
親しい友人 (したしいゆうじん): A close friend. (personal relationship) 身近な問題 (みぢかなもんだい): A familiar problem. (relatable issue)
Both express familiarity. なじみ深い suggests a deep, long-standing familiarity or affection for something.
なじみ深い emphasizes a deeper, more ingrained familiarity often developed over time. 身近な can be a more general familiarity, not necessarily with deep emotional attachment.
なじみ深い味 (なじみぶかいあじ): A deeply familiar taste. (long-standing, cherished) 身近な出来事 (みぢかなできごと): A familiar event. (common, relevant)
Both relate to daily life. 日常的な means 'daily' or 'everyday'.
日常的な focuses on something happening daily or being part of a routine. 身近な emphasizes personal relevance and familiarity, even if it doesn't happen every single day.
日常的な活動 (にちじょうてきなか活動): Daily activities. (routine) 身近な例 (みぢかなれい): A familiar example. (relatable, common experience)
Both relate to familiarity or being accustomed to something. 慣れている is a verb meaning 'to be used to' or 'to be accustomed to'.
慣れている describes a state of being accustomed to something through practice or exposure. 身近な describes the quality of something being familiar or close to one's experience.
この仕事には慣れている (このしごとにはなれている): I am used to this job. (my personal comfort/skill) 身近な話題なので話しやすい (みぢかなわだいなのではなしやすい): It's a familiar topic, so it's easy to talk about. (the topic's quality of being relatable)
खुद को परखो 60 सवाल
This sentence means 'This is my close friend.' The particles and word order are common in Japanese.
This sentence means 'That is a familiar problem for me.' 'にとって' means 'for' or 'to'.
This sentence means 'This place is very familiar.' 'とても' means 'very'.
This sentence means 'It's a familiar theme for me.' The word order is [私にとって (for me)] + [身近な (familiar)] + [テーマ (theme)] + [です (is)].
This sentence means 'This park is a familiar place to me.' The word order is [この公園は (this park)] + [私の (my)] + [身近な (familiar)] + [場所 (place)] + [です (is)].
This sentence means 'Please give a familiar example.' The word order is [身近な (familiar)] + [例 (example)] + [を挙げてください (please give)].
Choose the sentence where 身近な is used correctly.
身近な means familiar or close to home. The sentence '彼は身近な存在で、いつも助けてくれる' correctly uses it to describe someone who is a familiar and close presence.
Which of the following best describes something '身近な'?
身近な implies a personal connection or familiarity. '個人的な関係があること' (something with a personal connection) is the best fit.
When would you use 身近な to describe a topic?
身近な is used for topics that are relatable, common, and close to one's daily experience. Therefore, 'A topic that directly affects daily life and is easy to relate to' is the most appropriate choice.
身近な can be used to describe a distant galaxy.
身近な means familiar or close to home. A distant galaxy is not something that is familiar or close to home, so this statement is false.
You can describe your neighbor as a '身近な人'.
Since '身近な' means familiar or close, describing a neighbor, who you likely interact with regularly, as a '身近な人' (familiar person) is a correct usage.
The problems that affect your daily life are often '身近な問題'.
Problems that affect your daily life are typically considered '身近な問題' (familiar/personal problems) because they are close to your experience and relevant to your everyday existence.
インターネットは私たちにとって今や最も___な情報源です。
インターネットは多くの人にとって日常的に使う、親しみやすい情報源であるため、「身近な」が適切です。
環境問題は、もはや他人事ではなく、私たちの___な問題として捉えるべきです。
環境問題が、遠い問題ではなく、自分たちの生活に直接関わる親しい問題であるという文脈なので、「身近な」が最も適切です。
AI技術の発展により、以前はSFの世界の話だったことが、___な現実となりつつあります。
SFの世界の話が、日常的に見かける親しみやすい現実になっている、という意味で「身近な」が適切です。
彼は、どんなに偉くなっても、昔からの友人を___な存在として大切にしています。
親しい友人関係を表すには「身近な」が適切です。
この美術館では、日常生活の中にある___なテーマを扱った作品が展示されています。
日常生活の中にある、親しみやすい、個人的なテーマを指すため、「身近な」が適切です。
ストレス解消法は人それぞれですが、私は___な運動で気分転換をしています。
日常的に手軽に行える運動、という意味で「身近な」が適切です。
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 彼の話はいつもとても（ ）で、共感を呼ぶ。
「身近」は「 familiar, close to home, personal 」という意味で、話が聞き手にとって親しみやすく、共感しやすいという文脈に合います。
次の文で「身近な」の使い方が最も適切なものを選びなさい。 「彼女は（ ）な例を挙げて、難しい理論を分かりやすく説明した。」
「身近な例」は、聞き手にとって馴染みのある、具体的な例を意味し、難しい理論を分かりやすく説明する際に適しています。
「身近な」と反対の意味を持つ言葉として最も適切なものはどれですか？
「身近な」は「近くにある、親しみのある」という意味なので、その反対は「遠い」となります。
「身近な」は、物理的な距離が近いことだけでなく、心理的な親近感を表す場合にも使える。
「身近な」は、文字通りの距離だけでなく、精神的な距離、つまり「親しみやすい」「関係が深い」といった意味でも使われます。
「身近な問題」という表現は、「自分とは関係のない、遠い問題」という意味である。
「身近な問題」とは、「自分自身の生活や環境に直接関係する、切実な問題」という意味です。関係のない遠い問題という意味ではありません。
彼は身近な存在だ。 (Kare wa mijika na sonzai da.) This sentence means 'He is an unfamiliar person.'
「彼は身近な存在だ」は「He is a familiar presence/He is someone close to me」という意味です。「unfamiliar (不慣れな)」ではありません。
The artist's work appeals to familiar emotions.
She achieved her dream with the support of people close to her.
Environmental issues are no longer distant problems, but immediate challenges for us.
Read this aloud:
身近な話題で会話を弾ませることは、良い人間関係を築く上で重要です。
Focus: mi-ji-ka-na wa-dai de kai-wa o ha-zu-ma-se-ru ko-to wa, yo-i nin-gen kan-kei o ki-zu-ku ue de jū-yō desu.
तुमने कहा:
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Read this aloud:
最近、身近なところで起こった興味深い出来事を教えてください。
Focus: sai-kin, mi-ji-ka-na to-ko-ro de ok-ot-ta kyō-mi bu-kai de-ki-goto o o-shie-te ku-da-sai.
तुमने कहा:
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Read this aloud:
身近な例を挙げて説明すると、理解が深まることが多いです。
Focus: mi-ji-ka-na rei o a-ge-te se-tsu-mei su-ru to, ri-kai ga fu-ka-ma-ru koto ga o-oi desu.
तुमने कहा:
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This sentence structure emphasizes that the problems are deeply rooted in our familiar daily lives. 「〜は」marks the topic, followed by the descriptive phrase.
The sentence describes the author's skill in extracting universal themes from familiar subjects. 「〜から」indicates the source of the theme.
This sentence highlights that environmental issues are no longer distant but have become familiar to us. 「〜にとって」indicates 'for us'.
インターネットは私たちの___な生活に欠かせないツールとなった。
「身近な」は「familiar, close to home, personal」という意味で、ここでは「日常の生活」というニュアンスに合致します。
その作家は、___なテーマを深い洞察力で描くことで知られている。
「身近なテーマ」は「身近な話題や問題」を指し、読者が共感しやすい内容であることを示します。
環境問題は、もはや他人事ではなく、私たち自身の___な問題として捉えるべきだ。
「身近な問題」は「自分自身に直接関係する問題」という意味で、この文脈に適切です。
地域コミュニティでは、___な交流を通じて絆を深めることが大切だ。
「身近な交流」は「親しみやすく、個人的な交流」という意味合いで使われます。
科学技術の進歩により、以前は想像もできなかったことが___なものとなった。
「身近なもの」は「手が届く、現実的なもの」という意味で、実現可能になったことを示します。
彼は、___な視点から社会現象を分析する能力に長けている。
「身近な視点」は「個人的な経験や日常の出来事に基づいた視点」を意味し、より人間味のある分析を指します。
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 彼の話は私たちの日常生活に___話題が多かった。
The sentence discusses topics related to daily life, making '身近な' (familiar/close to home) the most fitting choice. The other options '遠い' (distant), '複雑な' (complex), and '珍しい' (unusual) do not fit the context.
以下の文で「身近な」が最も適切に使われているものを選びなさい。 A) 彼は宇宙の果てについて身近な話をした。 B) この公園は私の家から身近な場所にある。 C) その理論は一般の人には身近な概念だった。 D) 身近な存在ではないが、彼の意見は重要だ。
Option B uses '身近な' to describe a place that is geographically close, which aligns with the 'close to home' meaning. Option A uses '身近な' with '宇宙の果て' (end of the universe), which is contradictory. Option C incorrectly applies '身近な' to a '理論' (theory) that is not generally familiar. Option D's usage is grammatically awkward and doesn't convey the intended meaning of '身近な' as a natural fit.
「身近な」の類義語として最も適切なのはどれですか？
Among the options, '個人的な' (personal) is the closest synonym to '身近な' as both refer to something that is close or relevant to an individual. '一般的な' (general), '抽象的な' (abstract), and '専門的な' (specialized) have different meanings.
宇宙のブラックホールは、私たちにとって身近な存在である。
Black holes in space are generally not considered '身近な' (familiar or close to home) because they are remote and not part of everyday experience.
スマートフォンは、現代人にとって身近な道具の一つである。
Smartphones are widely used and integrated into daily life for most people, making them a '身近な' (familiar/close to home) tool.
「身近な話題」とは、多くの人が興味を持たない珍しいトピックを指す。
「身近な話題」 refers to topics that are familiar and relevant to people's daily lives, not rare or uninteresting ones.
The internet is a very 'familiar' thing to us now. Listen for the adjective describing its familiarity.
Recent news 'directly relates' to our 'familiar' daily lives. Focus on how the news is connected to our personal lives.
He always explains things using 'familiar' examples, making it easy to understand. Listen for the kind of examples he uses.
Read this aloud:
AI技術は私たちの身近な課題を解決する可能性を秘めている。
Focus: みぢかな
तुमने कहा:
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Read this aloud:
環境問題は、もはや遠い話ではなく、身近な問題として捉えるべきだ。
Focus: もんだいとして
तुमने कहा:
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Read this aloud:
地域の伝統文化は、子どもたちにとって身近なものとして触れる機会が大切だ。
Focus: ふれるきかいが
तुमने कहा:
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/ 60 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Use 身近な to talk about things that are familiar and relevant to your daily life.
- familiar
- close to home
- personal
उदाहरण
環境問題は私たちにとって身近な課題です。
संबंधित सामग्री
यह शब्द अन्य भाषाओं में
family के और शब्द
還暦
B160th birthday (celebration of completing a 60-year cycle).
〜くらい
B1About; approximately; to the extent that.
認め合う
B1To recognize each other's worth; to acknowledge.
知人
B1Acquaintance.
顔見知り
A2Acquaintance; someone you know by sight.
甘える
B1To be spoiled, to fawn; to behave like a pampered child.
活発な
B1Active; lively; vigorous.
思春期
B1Adolescence; the period of transition from childhood to adulthood.
養子
B1Adopted child; a child taken into one's family by legal means.
養親
B2Adoptive parent.
