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Kotomora

遠

distant, far

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • エン
  • オン

Kun'yomi

  • とお.い

Nanori

  • お
  • おに
  • ど
  • どお

Meaning

遠 centers on physical or metaphorical distance: something far away or distant.

Most common words using 遠

20 of 266
  • 遠いとおい
    N5

    far; distant; far away; a long way off; in the distance

  • 永遠えいえん
    N3

    eternity; perpetuity; permanence; immortality

  • 遠慮えんりょ
    N4

    reserve; constraint; restraint; modesty; diffidence; hesitation; holding back; discretion; tact; thoughtfulness

  • 遠征えんせい

    (military) expedition; campaign

  • 遠隔えんかく

    distant; remote; isolated

  • 遠距離えんきょり
    N1

    long distance; tele-

  • 遠慮なくえんりょなく

    without reservation; freely; frankly

  • 敬遠けいえん
    N1

    pretending to respect (someone) while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's length; giving a wide berth

  • 待ち遠しいまちどおしい
    N1

    longed-for; anxiously awaited

  • 望遠鏡ぼうえんきょう
    N2

    telescope

  • 遠方えんぽう
    N1

    distant place; faraway location; far away

  • 遠ざかるとおざかる
    N1

    to go away; to become more distant; to fade away; to die away

  • 遠出とおで

    trip; excursion; outing

  • 遠足えんそく
    N3

    school trip; field trip; excursion; outing

  • 程遠いほどとおい

    far away; far off

  • 遠ざけるとおざける

    to keep away; to keep at a distance

  • 遠回りとおまわり
    N2

    detour; roundabout way

  • 疎遠そえん
    N1

    estrangement; alienation; neglecting to stay in contact

  • 遠近えんきん

    distance; perspective; far and near; here and there

  • 遠のくとおのく

    to move off (into the distance); to become distant; to recede; to fade away; to die away

Explore all words using 遠 →

Study

Etymology

遠 combines the movement radical 辶 with 袁, which likely contributes the sound. The idea is of moving away to a distant place.

Meaning mnemonic

The movement radical 辶 suggests traveling, and the inner part 袁 looks like a long robe trailing behind. Picture someone in a long robe walking far into the distance.

Reading mnemonic

For エン, imagine a distant land that ends at the edge of the world: end -> エン, and the journey takes you far away.