Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とおく" vs "返す"
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
返す
かえす (kaesu)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とおく and 返す 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, 返す (かえす (kaesu)) translates to "to return, to give back" (Level: N4) and is used for Used when returning an item to its owner or original place, or replying to something. Transitive verb.. 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 "返す"
図書館に本を返しました。
I returned the book to the library.
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.".