Translation guide
How to express 'get close' in Japanese, covering physical proximity, emotional closeness, and approaching a goal or state.
To move nearer to a person, object, or location.
General verb for approaching or getting close to something physically. Intransitive.
A dog came close to me.
As we got close to the station, there were more people.
To approach or draw near, often with a nuance of intentionally moving closer. Intransitive.
Please don't get close to the cliff because it's dangerous.
Literally 'go to the side of', a natural way to say 'get close to someone/something'.
Let's get closer and take a look.
Formal or technical term for approaching, used in news or written contexts.
A typhoon is approaching Japan.
To develop a closer relationship with someone.
The most common way to say 'become close friends' or 'get along well'.
I got close to him quickly.
I want to get close to my new classmates.
To become familiar or intimate, slightly more formal than 仲良くなる.
We gradually got close, and now we're best friends.
Literally 'the distance shrinks', used metaphorically for emotional closeness.
Used when an animal or child becomes attached to someone. Not for adult relationships.
To come nearer to achieving something or reaching a certain condition.
Also used metaphorically for approaching a goal, deadline, or state.
The deadline is getting close.
Pattern meaning 'on the verge of' or 'close to doing something'.
We're about to reach the goal.
To press in on, often used for time or danger approaching with urgency.
近づく is a general intransitive verb for approaching, while 近寄る often implies intentional movement toward a specific target. 近寄る is commonly used in negative requests (〜ないでください).
Please do not approach because it's dangerous.
Avoid directly translating 'get close' as 「近くなる」; it is not idiomatic. Use 近づく or 仲良くなる depending on context.
Traveling together brought us closer.
子猫が私に懐いて、いつも後をついてくる。
The kitten got attached to me and follows me everywhere.
I got closer to realizing my dream.
試験が迫っている。
The exam is getting close.