This is the 409th most frequent Croatian word.
blizu
"Blizu" means "near" or "close" in English.
Here, 'blizu' is used metaphorically to indicate nearing a state or completion.
Blizu smo završetka projekta.
We are close to finishing the project.
Here, 'blizu' is used as a preposition to indicate proximity.
Kuća je blizu rijeke.
The house is near the river.
In this sentence, 'blizu' functions as a preposition and is associated with proximity to a person.