逼近
bījìn · HSK 7
approach
🏃 BEE-JIN — a bee is pressing in close, buzzing right up to you
逼 (bī) means to press or force, 近 (jìn) means near or close. Together they mean to press closer, to approach. The bee sound-alike for bī plus jìn sounding like gin: a bee diving into your gin glass, getting closer and closer.
逼 — walk radical 辶 + 畐 (full vessel, phonetic)
逼 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 radical signals motion or approach, while 畐 (depicting a full jar) supplies the sound. Together they convey the idea of pressing close or forcing someone, giving modern meanings like 'to compel' or 'to press in on'.
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'.