Close, Nearby, Near
い adjective
This is a single kanji with an い on the end, meaning you know it's probably an adjective. What's the adjective form of near? It's close or nearby.
ちかい
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you: You have to remember the ちか portion to be able to read this word. Imagine someone close to you... Too close. They are so close to you that they're touching their cheek (ちか) to your cheek. Feel the cheek on yours, it's getting awkward.
ここから近いコンビニはセブンイレブンです。
The convenience store near here is 7-Eleven.
この村の人口は百人に近いです。
The population of this village is close to a hundred.
アメリカ人にとって、ビールは水に近いって本当？
Is it true that beer is almost like water to American people?