Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "歌う"
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
歌う
うたう (utau)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とおく and 歌う 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, 歌う (うたう (utau)) translates to "to sing" (Level: N4) and is used for Refers to performing a song with one's voice.. 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 "歌う"
カラオケで日本の歌を歌いました。
I sang a Japanese song at karaoke.
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.".