Translation guide
To cause something or someone to come closer, physically or figuratively.
To bring an object nearer to the speaker or a reference point.
Transitive verb meaning to bring something closer. Often used for objects.
椅子を机に近づけてください。
Please bring the chair closer to the desk.
To draw something near, often used for moving objects toward oneself or a point.
彼は灰皿を手元に寄せた。
He brought the ashtray near his hand.
Literally 'bring to a nearby place'. A straightforward phrase for physically bringing something near.
その箱を近くに持ってきて。
Bring that box near.
To make a person approach or draw near.
To summon or call someone over, bringing them near.
彼女は子供たちを呼び寄せた。
She called the children over to her.
Causative form meaning 'to make someone come near'. More direct than 呼び寄せる.
先生は生徒を近くに来させた。
The teacher made the student come near.
To foster intimacy or reduce emotional distance.
To make a relationship closer or more intimate.
共通の趣味が二人を親密にした。
Their shared hobby brought them closer together.
Literally 'shorten the distance', used figuratively for relationships.
Often used intransitively (距離が縮まる) to describe the result rather than the action.
その旅行で二人の距離が縮まった。
The trip brought the two of them closer.
To cause something to happen sooner or approach in time.
To advance or bring forward a schedule or event.
会議の時間を早めましょう。
Let's bring the meeting time forward.
To move up a schedule, often used in business contexts.
プロジェクトの締め切りを前倒しにした。
We brought the project deadline forward.
The English phrase 'bring near' is not a single verb in Japanese. Learners should avoid directly translating 'bring' + 'near' and instead use the appropriate verb or phrase based on context.