This is the 179th most frequent Chinese word.
近
"Near" or "close."
近 describes physical proximity between two locations.
这家餐馆离我家很近。
This restaurant is very close to my home.
近 in 最近 refers to a recent point in time.
我最近正在学习中文。
I have recently been learning Chinese.
近 is part of the word 附近, indicating something is in the vicinity.