Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "いらっしゃいませ"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
とおく
とおく (tooku)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
いらっしゃいませ
いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とおく and いらっしゃいませ are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
とおく (とおく (tooku)) represents "far, distant" (Level: N5) and typically represents Describes distance. Opposite of ちかく.
On the other hand, いらっしゃいませ (いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase)) translates to "Welcome (to a store/restaurant)" (Level: N5) and is used for A formal and polite welcome greeting used by shop staff, restaurant employees, or hosts to customers entering their establishment. It's not typically used between friends or in informal settings.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "とおく"
わたしの家は会社から遠いです。
My house is far from the office.
Bilingual Sentence for "いらっしゃいませ"
お店に入ると、店員が「いらっしゃいませ！」と言いました。
When I entered the shop, the clerk said, "Welcome!"
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "わたしの家は会社から遠いです。" (Meaning: "My house is far from the office.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "とおく" fits here because it represents "far, distant" in the context: "My house is far from the office.".