Onyomi: エン, オン · Kunyomi: とお.い · Meanings: distant, far
Kanji for distant, far
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The kanji 遠 is built from the movement radical 辶, which shows a long path or journey, and 袁, an old character meaning “to be extended or stretched out.” Long ago, this combination painted the picture of someone traveling along a wide, stretched-out road that seems to go on forever. People imagined a distant place that requires a long walk, the path curving far into the horizon. Over time, this image — a long journey on an extended road — became the kanji for “far” or “distant.”
遠 shows a long, winding path (辶) combined with the idea of something stretched far away (袁). Together, it expresses distance — something that lies far down the road.
Imagine walking on a winding road (辶) that stretches and stretches ahead of you (袁), disappearing into the horizon. You think, “Wow… that place is really far.” That’s 遠.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 遠 | とお | distant | common Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 遠い | とおい | far, distant, far away, a long way off, in the distance | common JLPT-N5 I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 遠慮 | えんりょ | reserve, constraint, restraint, modesty, diffidence, hesitation, holding back, discretion, tact, thoughtfulness | common JLPT-N4 JLPT-N3 Noun, Suru verb |
| 遠く | とおく | far away, distant place, a (great) distance, a long way off, afar | common JLPT-N4 Noun, Adverb (fukushi), Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 遠足 | えんそく | school trip, field trip, excursion, outing | common JLPT-N2 Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 遠方 | えんぽう | distant place, faraway location, far away | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 遠ざかる | とおざかる | to go away, to become more distant, to fade away, to die away | common JLPT-N1 Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 遠回り | とおまわり | detour, roundabout way | JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 遠近法 | えんきんほう | perspective | Noun |
| 遠心力 | えんしんりょく | centrifugal force | Noun |