close to

近くに、そばに

人や物からあまり離れていない場所にあること。

やさしい英語で： A short distance from someone or something.

• Sit close to me.
• Our house is close to the station.
• They stood close to the door while they waited.

使い方： close to + person/place/thing (The hotel is close to the beach.)

類義語： near, by

反対語： far from

よく使う表現： close to home, close to someone, close to the station

約、およそ

ある数や量に近いこと。多くはそれより少し少ない。

やさしい英語で： About a particular number or amount, often a little less.

• It took close to an hour.
• Close to fifty people came to the meeting.
• The house sold for close to a million dollars.

使い方： close to + number/amount (The repairs cost close to a thousand dollars.)

類義語： about, approximately, around

よく使う表現： close to fifty, close to midnight, close to an hour

ほとんど、もう少しで

ある状態になるまで、または何かを終えるまであとわずかであること。

やさしい英語で： Almost reaching a particular state or completing an action.

• The work is close to finished.
• She was close to tears after the argument.
• We came close to winning the match.

使い方： close to + -ing (We were close to giving up.); close to + state (The tank is close to empty.)

類義語： almost, nearly

よく使う表現： close to finished, close to tears, close to winning