близ vs около
bliz vs okolo — near/by (formal or literary) vs near/about
Register: formal / literary vs neutral
What it really means
Близ is a preposition meaning “near,” usually with the genitive, and has a literary, geographic, or elevated flavor: близ города. Около is the normal neutral word for physical proximity and also means approximately with quantities; it governs the genitive in both uses.
Examples in natural speech
Деревня расположена близ озера.
The village is situated near the lake.
Близ станции начинается лес.
A forest begins near the station.
Мы встретились около метро.
We met near the metro.
Около двадцати гостей уже пришли.
About twenty guests have already arrived.
Около дома растут старые липы.
Old lindens grow near the house.
Common mistakes
Do not use близ as the everyday word for every nearby place; около or рядом с is usually more natural. Both близ and около take the genitive, not the instrumental: около дома, not около домом.
Memory tip
Близ sounds like a map caption; около is what you say when meeting near a place.
Frequently asked questions
Does близ mean approximately?
No, not normally. Use около for approximate numbers; близ двадцати is literary and can be understood as “close to twenty,” but около is safer.
What case follows близ?
Usually the genitive: близ берега, близ Москвы, близ конечной станции.
How does около differ from рядом с?
Около takes the genitive and means near/about; рядом с takes the instrumental and emphasizes being beside something.
Note: This site uses JavaScript for interactive drills, audio playback, and progress tracking. Please enable JavaScript for the full experience.