近く
ちかく · chikaku · JLPT N5 · noun
nearby
🏘️ 近 (near) + く: the adverb/noun form of 近い chikai, near
近い (chikai) means near; swapping い for く gives 近く, used as a noun for the nearby area: 駅の近く = near the station. Sound hook: chika-ku, like a cheeky cool cafe that is right in your neighborhood.
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'.