Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "言います"
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
言います
いいます (iimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とおく and 言います 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, 言います (いいます (iimasu)) translates to "to say, to tell" (Level: N5) and is used for Polite form of 言う. 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 "言います"
先生にありがとうと言います。
I say thank you to the teacher.
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.".