Episode Overview

Podcast: All Ears English Podcast
Episode: 2479 – Relationship Talk in English: Close to or Close With?
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Michelle Kaplan
Air Date: September 16, 2025

Theme:
This episode tackles a subtle yet important grammar and vocabulary question: When describing relationships in English, should you say "close to" someone or "close with" someone? Lindsay and Michelle answer a listener’s question, breaking down the nuanced differences, giving examples, and exploring both relationship and proximity contexts, as well as touching on American cultural expectations around friendships.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Question: “Close to” vs. “Close with”

• Listener "Raw Hunger" on YouTube asks:

  "I heard you using the adjective 'close' with two different prepositions, 'close to' and 'close with', interchangeably. Am I right?"
  ([03:13])

2. Explaining Usage: Relationship Contexts

• "Close with" is primarily used for personal relationships:
  • “Are you close with your partner’s family?” ([02:21])
  • Example: “I’m not close with my brothers, but I’m close with my sister.” ([04:42])
• "Close to" can also be used for relationships:
  • “Are you close to your family?” ([04:54])
  • Both forms are correct and common for relationships in American English, though "close with" might sound slightly more intimate to some speakers. ([09:37])

3. "Close to" – A Broader Use

• Physical proximity:
  • “My house is close to the grocery store.” ([06:09])
  • Not correct: "My house is close with the grocery store." ([06:27])
• Figurative proximity (almost at a goal):
  • “I’m close to completing the project. I just need 10 more minutes.” ([08:55])
  • Not correct: "I’m close with completing the project." ([09:15])
• Summary: “Close to” is much more versatile—it works for relationships, physical distance, and also as a synonym for "almost." ([11:13])

4. Subtle Differences in Meaning

• On "close with" vs. "close to" in relationships:

  “Maybe ‘close with’ might signify a slightly more intimacy, like a closer person. But that might just be my feeling. I really think they mean the same thing.”
  – Lindsay ([09:37]) “It’s something where it’s so similar that I wouldn’t really worry about the difference.”
  – Michelle ([10:06])

• Advice: Both are fine; don’t stress over using one or the other in relationship contexts ([11:41], [17:22]).

5. Practical Examples & Personal Reflections

• Still close with childhood friends?
  “I am really still close with my two friends from growing up. However, I don’t live close to them.” – Michelle ([11:49]) “There’s someone that was my best friend from high school—I’m still close to her.” – Lindsay ([12:14])
• New Year’s goals:
  “Are you close to achieving any New Year’s resolutions?” ([12:38])
• Physical locations:
  “I wish I lived closer to the grocery store.” – Michelle ([13:22])
• Role play (reminder of language in context):
  • “I loved our neighborhood. It was so close to everything.”
  • “Most people aren’t even close with their childhood friends either.” ([13:44]–[14:11])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lindsay on prepositions:

  “Two is a wider net … you would never say, ‘my house is close with the grocery store.’ Totally weird.” ([06:27])

• Michelle on natural use:

  “Close with sounds to me … I think I more naturally say ‘close with’, but actually, maybe not. You know, it’s easy for me to say this on the episode, but …” ([10:07]) “Our listeners are the ones that know what we actually say because they …” ([10:22])

• Lindsay on language learning:

  “Don’t, don’t, don’t stress, don’t stress over it. It’s very, very picky. You’ll be fine saying ‘close to’ or ‘close with’ when it comes to relationships.” ([17:22])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:21] – Introduction to the topic with personal examples from Lindsay and Michelle
• [03:13] – Listener question is read and appreciated
• [04:21] – Deep dive into “close with” for relationships
• [05:44] – “Close to” as more diverse—used for distance/proximity
• [06:09] – Examples of physical proximity: “close to the grocery store”
• [08:42] – Using “close to” for relationships and for “almost”
• [09:37] – Subtlety and speaker intuition on intimacy
• [11:41] – Rule of thumb: “close with” for relationships, “close to” is broader
• [12:38] – Further context: goals, proximity in daily life
• [13:44] – Role play with examples
• [17:22] – Cultural reflections and final advice

Cultural Reflections

• The hosts discuss how friendships and proximity can vary by culture, and how in the US it’s typical to move away from your hometown for work or life but still maintain relationships, sometimes from a distance ([14:33], [18:30]).
• They pose a potential poll question to listeners about whether it’s more common in their cultures to remain close with childhood friends or make new friends throughout life, and how proximity affects that outcome.

Takeaways

• For relationships: Both “close to” and “close with” are valid; "close with" might, optionally, convey deeper intimacy.
• For other uses: Use “close to” for physical proximity and “almost” situations.
• Don’t worry—native speakers use both, and the difference is minor, especially in conversation.
• Cultural norms influence how and with whom you stay "close" over a lifetime, but language flexibility remains.

For more on building conversation skills: Check out Episode 2464, “Build a Better English Conversation with this Bridge.” ([17:36])