Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "かぎ"
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
かぎ
かぎ (kagi)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とおく and かぎ 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, かぎ (かぎ (kagi)) translates to "key" (Level: N5) and is used for An object used for locking and unlocking doors, cars, etc. The verb for locking is '鍵をかける'. 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 "かぎ"
車の鍵はどこですか。
Where is the car key?
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.".