What is the difference between "とおい" and "遠い"?

"とおい" means "far, distant" (N5), whereas "遠い" represents "far" (A1).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "とおい (tooi)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

とおい (tooi)

N5 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

とおい (tooi)

A1 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "とおい (tooi)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

とおい (Level: N5): Translates to "far, distant" and is used when 物理的な距離が離れていることを表すい形容詞です。反対語は「ちかい」です。.
遠い (Level: A1): Maps to "far" and carries the nuance of Essential structural term in CEFR A1 vocabulary syllabus..

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "とおい"

私の家から駅までとても遠いです。

It's very far from my house to the station.

Bilingual Context for "遠い"

これはとても遠いですね。

This is very far, isn't it?

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "私の家から駅までとても遠いです。" (Meaning: "It's very far from my house to the station.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "とおい" is used for "far, distant" in the context: "It's very far from my house to the station.".