最近

最近 is a block of time that runs right up to the present moment. It's your word for 'these past few weeks' as one continuous blur. 现在 pins things to this exact second, so it can't describe two weeks of overtime. If a friend asks how you've been, 最近怎么样 is the natural opener. If you're mid-task and someone calls, 现在 is what you reach for.

Time words like 最近 want to run the show, so they grab the front of the sentence. You can also tuck them in right after the subject, and both versions sound completely natural. What you can't do is tack them onto the tail end like an afterthought. English happily says 'I've been busy lately' with 'lately' hanging at the back. Chinese treats that trailing spot as a no-go zone for time words. When in doubt, lead with 最近 and let the rest follow. “最近我每周都游两三次，但看电影是我最大的爱好！” (Lately I swim two or three times a week, but watching movies is my biggest hobby!) ── [《你喜欢看老电影吗？》](/read/do-you-like-old-movies#s11)

最近 is literally the superlative of 近, so it wears two hats depending on what follows. Put a place after 的 and it means 'closest in distance' — 最近的地铁站 is the station nearest you. Put time words after it and you're back in 'lately' territory. The giveaway is simple: a noun like 车站, 医院, or 超市 means distance. A time word like 几天 or no noun at all means recency. Reading 最近的地铁站 as 'my latest station' will get you strange looks from a taxi driver.