Translation guide
The English word 'far' describes physical distance, extent, degree, and time. Japanese expresses these ideas through adjectives, adverbs, and grammatical patterns. The most common equivalent is 遠い (tooi) for physical distance, but other expressions are needed for different uses.
Describing something that is a long way away in space.
The standard adjective for 'far' in terms of physical distance. Used to describe locations, objects, or places that are distant.
駅はここから遠いですか。
Is the station far from here?
彼の家は遠いところにある。
His house is in a faraway place.
The adverbial form of 遠い, meaning 'far away' or 'in the distance'. Often used with verbs of motion or perception.
遠くに山が見える。
I can see mountains far away.
A more formal or written term meaning 'distant place' or 'far away'. Often used in announcements or formal writing.
Expressing that something goes to a great extent, is much more, or is by a large margin.
An adverb meaning 'far' in the sense of 'much more' or 'by far'. Used in comparisons to emphasize a large difference.
Referring to a point in time that is distant from the present, either in the past or future.
Literally 'far future', used to talk about a time long from now.
それは遠い未来の話だ。
That's a story of the far future.
Expressing the limit or scope of something, as in 'as far as I know' or 'as far as the eye can see'.
A pattern meaning 'as far as (one knows/sees/etc.)'. Attach to a verb in dictionary form or past tense.
私が知っている限りでは、彼は無実だ。
As far as I know, he is innocent.
Expressing that something is not at all the case; quite the opposite.
A pattern meaning 'far from ~' or 'not only not ~, but on the contrary'. Used to strongly negate an expectation.
彼は謝るどころか、逆に怒り出した。
Far from apologizing, he got angry instead.
Referring to the period up until the present moment.
English 'far' is used in many idiomatic ways that don't translate directly to 遠い. For comparisons (far better), use ずっと or はるかに. For 'as far as', use 限りでは. For 'so far', use 今のところ. Using 遠い in these cases will sound unnatural.
Both mean 'far' in comparisons, but ずっと is more common in everyday speech, while はるかに is more formal and emphatic. ずっと can also mean 'continuously' or 'all the way', so context is important.
駅はここから遠いです。
The station is far from here.
これはあれよりずっといい。
This is far better than that.
見た限りでは大丈夫です。
As far as I can see, it's fine.
彼は遠くへ引っ越した。
He moved far away.
遠方からお越しいただきありがとうございます。
Thank you for coming from so far away.
こっちのほうがずっといい。
This one is far better.
彼は私よりずっと背が高い。
He is far taller than me.
An adverb meaning 'far' or 'by far', often used in more formal or written contexts. Emphasizes a significant gap.
彼の能力ははるかに上だ。
His ability is far superior.
A literary or poetic word meaning 'far', 'distant', or 'much'. Can be used for both physical distance and degree.
遥か昔の出来事
an event far in the past
Literally 'far past', meaning 'long ago' or 'ancient times'.
遠い昔、ここには海があった。
Far in the past, there was an ocean here.
A common phrase meaning 'still far ahead' or 'a long way off', used for future events.
完成はまだまだ先だ。
Completion is still far off.
As far as the eye could see, it was all snow.
The particle まで can mean 'as far as' in a physical sense, indicating a destination or limit.
どこまで行くの？
How far are you going?
ここまで来れば大丈夫。
As far as we've come, it's okay.
Far from being cool, it's unbearably hot.
Literally 'far from ~', meaning 'nowhere near' or 'a far cry from'. Used to say something falls short of a standard.
彼の実力はプロとは程遠い。
His skill is far from professional.
A common phrase meaning 'so far' or 'up to now', often used when the situation may change.
今のところ問題はない。
So far there are no problems.
Means 'so far' or 'until now', often used in more formal contexts or when summarizing.
これまでの経緯を説明します。
I will explain the circumstances so far.