贴近
tiē jìn · HSK 7
to press close to
🩹 贴 stick/paste + 近 near = stick yourself near = press close, snuggle up
贴 is the same stick-on-like-a-bandage character as in 贴纸 sticker; 近 means near (note 斤 axe inside, walking 辶 up close). Stick + near = pressing intimately close.
贴 — shell radical 贝 + occupy 占
A semantic-phonetic compound. The shell radical 贝 (originally cowrie shells used as money) signals the meaning, since 贴 first meant 'to pawn' or 'to pledge' something for money. The phonetic 占 (zhān) hints at the sound. The meaning later broadened to 'paste/stick on' and 'subsidy'.
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'.