🦅 Project Eagle
Synonym Comparison

The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "止める"

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

止める

とめる (tomeru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

In Japanese, both とおく and 止める 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, 止める (とめる (tomeru)) translates to "to stop (something); to park; to fasten" (Level: N4) and is used for Transitive verb. Used for actions like stopping a car. 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 "止める"
ここに車を止めてもいいですか。
May I park my car here?

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.".