Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "点ける"
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
点ける
つける (tsukeru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とおく and 点ける 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, 点ける (つける (tsukeru)) translates to "to turn on; to light; to switch on" (Level: N4) and is used for Transitive verb. Commonly used for turning on lights. 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 "点ける"
部屋が暗いので、電気を点けてください。
The room is dark, so please turn on the light.
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.".