Quadruple VS
Synonym Boundary: "とおく", "遠い", "遠く", "はるかに"
All represent the core concept "far", but require precise selection.
Japanese Option A
とおく
とおく (tooku)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B
遠い
とおい (tōi)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option C
遠く
とおく (tooku)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option D
はるかに
はるかに (haruka ni)
N2 / CEFR
Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
When expressing "far" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "とおく", "遠い", "遠く", "はるかに" based on context.
- とおく (とおく (tooku) - Level: N5): Maps to "far, distant" and is used when Describes distance. Opposite of ちかく.
- 遠い (とおい (tōi) - Level: N5): Maps to "far, distant" and is used when い-adjective. Describes physical or temporal distance. Its opposite is 近い.
- 遠く (とおく (tooku) - Level: N5): Maps to "far, distant, a long way off" and is used when 物理的な距離が離れていることを示します。「遠くに」として場所を指すことが多いです。.
- はるかに (はるかに (haruka ni) - Level: N2): Maps to "far, by far, much (more/less)" and is used when Used to emphasize a significant difference in degree, amount, or distance. Often used with comparative expressions..
Context 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.
Context for "遠い"
駅はここから遠いです。
The station is far from here.
Context for "遠く"
彼の故郷はとても遠いです。
His hometown is very far away.
Context for "はるかに"
この問題は、想像していたよりもはるかに難しかった。
This problem was far more difficult than I had imagined.
Synonym Mastery Challenge
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" is correct here because it represents "far, distant" in the context: "My house is far from the office.".