Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "かかる"
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
かかる
かかる (kakaru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とおく and かかる 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, かかる (かかる (kakaru)) translates to "to take (time, money), to hang" (Level: N4) and is used for Often used with time. 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 "かかる"
東京から大阪まで新幹線で3時間かかります。
It takes 3 hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka.
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.".