将近
jiāngjìn · HSK 3
almost
⏳ 将近 = about-to + near; both parts mean 'approaching'
将 carries the sense of 'about to / on the verge of' and 近 means 'near/close'. Stacked together they describe a quantity or time that has nearly reached a mark — almost, nearly, close to.
将 — 爿 (bed/plank) + 寸 (hand) + 月 (meat)
Originally depicted a hand (寸) holding meat (月) beside a table or altar (爿), suggesting offering meat at a ceremony — hence a leader or general who presides. The meaning extended to 'commander' and, as a function word, 'about to' or 'will'. The simplified form 将 streamlines 爿 into 丬.
近 — 辶 (walk) + 斤 (axe, phonetic)
近 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 radical signals movement or distance, while 斤 (axe) supplies the sound. Together they convey the idea of a short distance to walk, hence 'near' or 'close'.