How do you say "Is it close?" in Japanese?

"Is it close?" in Japanese is "近いですか。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘Is it close?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "近いですか。" mean in English?

"近いですか。" means "Is it close?" in English. Usage tip: Polite question. You can make it more specific: [駅から近いですか] = “Is it close from the station?”

近いですか。

chikai desu ka

[chee-kai dess kah]

💬 Usage Tip: Polite question. You can make it more specific: [駅から近いですか] = “Is it close from the station?”

🇯🇵 In Japan: Because addresses can be confusing, asking “close to the station” is a very normal practical question in Japan.

Phrase Breakdown

近い

chikai

[chee-kai]

near; close

Key adjective in the question “Is it close?” Often asked about home/work distance or station proximity.

Example

家からここは近いですか。

Is it close from your home to here?

ですか

desu ka

is it? (polite question ending)

です + か combined. Turns a statement into a polite question: 近いですか = “Is it close?”

Example

今、忙しいですか。

Are you busy now?

Words in this phrase

です

desu

[dess]

is; are (polite)

Polite form used in questions with か, suitable for interviews.

Example

駅まで近いですか。

Is it close to the station?

か

[kah]

question particle

Turns the sentence into a question; in “近いですか” it asks for confirmation.

Example

ここから近いですか。か

Is it close from here? (Shows か as the question marker.)

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