close to

Meaning

'Close to' means near in space, time, or relationship. It is used to describe physical proximity, events that are about to happen, or people who have a strong emotional connection. Note that 'close' is pronounced with an 's' sound in this phrase.

Examples

• Our new apartment is very close to the subway station.

  Our new apartment is very close to the subway station.

• I am very close to my sister; we talk about everything.

  I am very close to my sister; we talk about everything.

• It is close to midnight, so we should probably go to sleep.

  It is close to midnight, so we should probably go to sleep.

• The restaurant is close to the park, just a two-minute walk.

  The restaurant is close to the park, just a two-minute walk.

• She was close to tears when she heard the sad news.

  She was close to tears when she heard the sad news.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The hotel is close from the beach.

  ✓ The hotel is close to the beach.

  We use 'to' after 'close' to show proximity. Do not confuse it with 'far from'.

• ✗ I live close of my school.

  ✓ I live close to my school.

  Do not use 'of' after 'close' when describing physical distance. The correct preposition is 'to'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• My office is ___ the coffee shop, which is very convenient.

  💡 Near or a short distance from.

  Show answer

  close to

• She is very ___ her grandmother and visits her every weekend.

  💡 Has a strong relationship with.

  Show answer

  close to