How to say "distant" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 遠いとおいi-adjectiveThe default adjective for physical distance: a faraway town, a distant mountain, a long way off. When you simply mean that something is far away, this is the word you want.彼の家はここから遠くない。↗His house is not far from here.
- 遠隔えんかくno-adjectiveCovers the 'remote' sense of distant — a far-off, isolated place or thing — with a formal, technical flavor. It is not the everyday adjective for something being far away; use 遠い there.
- 水臭いみずくさいi-adjectiveThe interpersonal sense of distant: stand-offish, reserved, not frank. Said of someone who keeps an unnecessary distance with a person they could be open with, so it never describes physical remoteness.そう水くさくするな。↗Don't be so reserved.
- na-adjective, adverbAn emphatic 'far, far away' for things at great distance in space, usually written in kana alone. It adds a literary or heightened flavor rather than stating plain distance.
- 冷たいつめたいi-adjectiveMatches 'distant' only in the emotional sense: a cold, unfeeling, indifferent attitude toward people. It says nothing about physical distance; use it for a person or reply that feels coldhearted.
Choose 「遠い」 for plain physical distance, 「はるか」 for emphatic far-off distance, 遠隔 for the formal 'remote' sense, 「水臭い」 for stand-offish people, and 「冷たい」 for a cold, unfeeling manner.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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