Translation guide
The English word "corner" has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common ones for learners: a physical corner (inside or outside), a street corner, a remote area, and a difficult situation. Japanese uses different words depending on the type of corner.
The inside angle where two walls, surfaces, or edges meet.
Refers to an inside corner, like the corner of a room or a box. Often used for places where things gather or are tucked away.
部屋の隅に机を置いた。
I put the desk in the corner of the room.
There was a small note in the corner of the box.
Loanword from English. Often used for designated areas within a larger space, like a kitchen corner or a reading corner. Can also mean a section or feature.
This cafe has a play corner for kids.
The outside angle or edge where two surfaces meet, like the corner of a table or building.
Refers to an outside corner or edge, such as the corner of a table, street, or building. Can also mean a sharp edge.
I hit my head on the corner of the table.
Please turn at the corner of that building.
Also used for outside corners, especially in sports (e.g., corner kick) or when referring to a curved corner. Less common for sharp edges.
The place where two streets meet, often used for giving directions or describing locations.
The most common word for a street corner. Can be used with or without specifying the street name.
Turn right at the next corner.
There's a convenience store on that corner.
Literally 'turning corner'. Emphasizes the point where you turn. Often used in directions.
Literally 'town corner'. Has a slightly nostalgic or poetic feel, often used in phrases like '街角のカフェ' (street-corner cafe).
A quiet, out-of-the-way place, often far from the center of activity.
Means 'one corner' or 'remote corner'. Implies a small, often overlooked part of a larger area. Can be physical or metaphorical.
He lives quietly in a corner of the city.
Colloquial form of 隅, meaning a small corner or nook. Often used when talking about a cozy or hidden spot.
Means 'remote place' or 'backcountry'. Stronger than 'corner', used for isolated areas far from civilization.
A situation from which it is hard to escape, often used in phrases like 'backed into a corner' or 'in a tight corner'.
Passive form of 追い詰める (to corner someone). Means 'to be cornered' or 'to be driven into a corner'. Commonly used for both physical and metaphorical situations.
He was cornered and told a lie.
Means 'to be put in a predicament' or 'to be in a tight spot'. More formal and often used in serious contexts.
The company is in a tight corner.
The edge of one's field of vision, as in 'out of the corner of my eye'.
隅 (すみ) is an inside corner (concave), like the corner of a room. 角 (かど) is an outside corner (convex), like the corner of a table or a street corner. Using the wrong one can cause confusion. For example, 部屋の角 (へやのかど) would mean the outside corner of the room (from the outside), while 部屋の隅 (へやのすみ) means the inside corner.
Dust has gathered in the corner of the room.
I hit my elbow on the corner of the desk.
While コーナー is used for corners in many contexts, it is not natural for sharp, angular corners like the edge of a table. Use 角 (かど) instead. コーナー is better for rounded corners or designated areas.
彼はコーナーからシュートを決めた。
He scored from the corner.
Turn left at the corner and you'll find the post office.
街角で偶然友達に会った。
I ran into a friend on the street corner.
子供は部屋の隅っこで本を読んでいた。
The child was reading a book in the corner of the room.
The village is in a remote corner of the mountains.
A four-character idiom meaning 'desperate situation' or 'no way out'. Stronger than 'cornered', implies a life-or-death crisis.
He got out of a desperate corner.
I saw her leave the room out of the corner of my eye.