遠 means “far, distant”

とおい · tooi

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

とおい

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

エン, オン

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 2 · 13 strokes

The story

Movement (辶) across a vast garment (袁): traveling so far that the landscape changes like unfurling fabric. 遠い captures the bittersweet distance between places. In Japanese poetry, 遠く (tooku, far away) evokes longing for distant loved ones. 遠足 (ensoku, school excursion) turns distance into childhood adventure.

Used in 遠足 (ensoku, excursion), 永遠 (eien, eternity), and 遠い (tooi, far/distant)

More from Travel & Transport

• 近 near
• 送 send
• 渡 cross over
• 泊 stay overnight
• 迷 get lost
• 急 hurry
• 航 navigate
• 旅 travel
• 飛 fly
• 乗 ride
• 通 pass through
• 運 carry

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.