Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "買います" vs "とおく"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
買います
かいます (kaimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
とおく
とおく (tooku)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 買います and とおく are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
買います (かいます (kaimasu)) represents "to buy" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 買う.
On the other hand, とおく (とおく (tooku)) translates to "far, distant" (Level: N5) and is used for Describes distance. Opposite of ちかく. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "買います"
新しい服をデパートで買います。
I will buy new clothes at the department store.
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.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "新しい服をデパートで ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "I will buy new clothes at the department store.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "買います" fits here because it represents "to buy" in the context: "I will buy new clothes at the department store.".