Japanese symbol for “approaching”
接近
せっきん
Romaji: sekkin
getting closer; drawing nearer; approaching
In Japanese, approaching is 接近, read せっきん (sekkin).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n, vi, vs getting closer; drawing nearer; approaching
- n, vi, vs being not much different; being near (age, skill, etc.)
- n, vi, vs becoming close (i.e. friendly); becoming intimate
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “approaching”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 間近 | まぢか majika | (drawing) near; approaching; almost here |
| 近接 | きんせつ kinsetsu | approaching; drawing near; coming close |
| 来るべき | きたるべき kitarubeki | upcoming; forthcoming; approaching |
| 声かけ | こえかけ koekake | saying something (to someone); greeting; approaching (someone) |
| 取っ付き | とっつき tottsuki | first (one comes to); approaching |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 直接 | ちょくせつ chokusetsu | direct; immediate; personal |
| 接触 | せっしょく sesshoku | touch; contact; touching |
| 接続 | せつぞく setsuzoku | connection; attachment; union |
| 面接 | めんせつ mensetsu | interview (e.g. for a job) |
| 間接 | かんせつ kansetsu | indirection; indirectness |
| 最近 | さいきん saikin | recently; lately; these days |
| 近所 | きんじょ kinjo | neighbourhood; neighborhood; vicinity |
| 付近 | ふきん fukin | neighborhood; neighbourhood; vicinity |
See also: Chinese symbol for “approaching”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.