familiar

Compared meaning: happening often or as expected (adjective).

比较义项：常见的、平常的（形容词）。

• familiar 本词

  Describes something recognized because you have experienced or encountered it before, often a specific problem, face, or situation; less about general statistical frequency and more about personal recognition through repetition.

  描述某样东西因为你以前经历过或遇到过而被认出，通常指某个具体的问题、面孔或情况；比起统计上的普遍程度，更强调因反复接触而产生的个人认知。

  That question sounded familiar, since someone had asked it just last week.

  那个问题听起来有点熟悉，因为上周才有人问过。

• common

  Describes something that happens often or is widespread among a group, type, or population; the neutral, general-purpose word for frequency, often paired with 'among' or 'in'.

  描述某事经常发生，或在某个群体、类型或人群中普遍存在；是表示频率的中性通用词，常与“among”或“in”搭配使用。

  Traffic jams are common in this city during rush hour.

  在这座城市，交通拥堵在高峰时段很常见。

• usual

  Describes the normal, expected way something happens for a particular person, time, or routine; implies a customary pattern rather than general frequency, and contrasts with what's different this time.

  描述对某个人、某个时间或某种惯例而言正常、可预期的发生方式；强调的是习惯性模式而非总体频率，并带有“这次不一样”的对比含义。

  She ordered her usual coffee before heading to work.

  她在去上班之前点了她平常喝的咖啡。

Familiar, common, and usual all relate to something not unusual. Familiar means recognized from experience, like a familiar problem. Common means happening often among a group. Usual means normal for someone's routine. Their other senses, 'a familiar face' and 'a common interest', are not compared.

这三个词都可以表示“常见、平常”，但侧重点不同：familiar 强调因反复接触而“认得出”，common 强调在群体或范围内“普遍存在”，usual 强调对某人或某惯例而言“照常、符合预期”。这里不比较 familiar 表示“相识的、熟悉某人某物”的用法（如 a familiar face 熟悉的面孔），也不比较 common 表示“共同的、公有的”的用法（如 common interest 共同利益）。

Compared meaning: emotionally close in a relationship (adjective).

比较义项：（人际关系上）亲近的、亲密的（形容词）。

• close

  The general, everyday word for emotional closeness in any relationship - friends, family, colleagues. Neutral in tone, works in casual and formal contexts alike, and is the default choice when in doubt.

  这是表示人际关系亲近程度最常用的普通词，可用于朋友、家人、同事等任何关系，语气中性，正式和非正式场合皆可使用，是拿不准时的默认选择。

  My sister and I have always been close, even though we live in different countries.

  尽管我们住在不同的国家，我和姐姐（妹妹）一直很亲近。

• familiar 本词

  Suggests closeness built up gradually through frequent contact; can also imply someone is acting too informally or presumptuously with another person, which native speakers often read as slightly negative or overstepping social boundaries.

  指通过频繁接触而逐渐建立起来的亲近关系；也可以表示某人对别人过于随意或冒昧，母语者常将其理解为略带负面、显得越界的意味。

  Some customers found the salesman a little too familiar, using nicknames right away.

  有些顾客觉得那位销售员有点过于随便亲近，一见面就直呼绰号。

• near

  Formal or legal register, largely limited to kinship terms like 'near relative' or 'near relation'; rarely describes friendships and sounds old-fashioned or bureaucratic in everyday conversation compared to 'close'.

  属于正式或法律用语，主要局限于表示亲属关系的固定搭配，例如中文里的“近亲”这类说法，很少用来形容友谊，在日常口语中比“close”显得老式、官方。

  He died with no near relatives left to claim the inheritance.

  他去世时没有留下近亲可以继承遗产。

• intimate

  Marks the deepest degree of closeness, often involving private or personal matters, sometimes with romantic or sexual overtones; used for very close friends, partners, or confidential conversations and details.

  表示亲近程度最深的一种，往往涉及私密或个人的事情，有时带有浪漫或性方面的意味；用于非常亲密的朋友、伴侣，或私密的谈话与细节。

  They shared intimate details about their childhood that they'd never told anyone else.

  他们分享了从未告诉过任何人的童年隐秘细节。

Close, familiar, near, and intimate all describe closeness. Close is the general word. Familiar suggests closeness from frequent contact, but can also mean acting too informally, which sounds negative. Near is formal, limited to phrases like near relative. Intimate marks the deepest closeness, sometimes private.

这四个词在“人际关系上亲近、亲密”这一义项上意思相近，但语气和使用场合不同：close 最常用、语气中性；familiar 强调因长期接触而逐渐熟络，有时含有“为人过于随便”的负面意味；near 偏正式或法律用语，常用于表示亲属关系的固定说法；intimate 程度最深，常涉及私密话题，有时带有暧昧或亲密关系的意味。这里不比较 close 的“关闭”和“（距离上）接近”义项、familiar 的“熟悉的，眼熟的”义项、near 的“（距离上）接近的”义项，以及 intimate 的“私人的，隐私的”等其他义项。