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Synonym Comparison

The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "ねる"

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

ねる

ねる (neru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

In Japanese, both とおく and ねる 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, ねる (ねる (neru)) translates to "to sleep, to go to bed" (Level: N5) and is used for Used when going to bed or sleeping. The polite form is 寝ます. 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 "ねる"
毎晩10時に寝ます。
I go to bed at 10 every night.

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.".

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