遠 — Far, Distant

Meaning

The kanji 遠 (えん, とおい) primarily conveys the meaning of "far," "distant," or "remote." It's a fundamental character used to describe spatial and sometimes temporal distance in Japanese. Visually, 遠 hints at vastness and movement.

This kanji is composed of two main parts: the radical 辵 (しんにょう) on the left, and 袁 (えん) on the right. The 辵 radical, often called "shinnyou," is associated with walking, movement, or a path. It depicts a footprint and a stop, signifying traversing a distance.

The right-hand component, 袁 (えん), is a kanji itself meaning "long robe" or "distant." When combined, 辵 (walking) and 袁 (distant/long) naturally suggest the meaning "to walk a long distance" or simply "far." The kanji 遠 effectively conveys the idea of moving across a great expanse, highlighting the journey and the distance involved.

This character has 13 strokes and is taught in the second grade of Japanese elementary school. As an N4 level kanji in the JLPT framework, it's a key part of basic Japanese vocabulary. Its structure effectively reflects its core meaning, becoming quite clear once you understand its components.

Readings

The kanji 遠 has both On'yomi (Chinese-derived) and Kun'yomi (native Japanese) readings. Each is used in different contexts.

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The main On'yomi reading for 遠 is エン (EN). You'll usually see this reading when 遠 is part of a compound word, particularly with other kanji of Chinese origin. It often expresses ideas of distance, remoteness, or extensiveness.

遠足えんそく (ensoku) — an excursion or a school trip, literally "distant foot," implying a walk or journey to a far place.
遠近えんきん (enkin) — far and near, distance; proximity. This compound frequently appears in phrases like 遠近法えんきんほう (enkinhō), which means perspective in art.
永遠えいえん (eien) — eternity, perpetuity. Here, 永 (ei) means "eternal" or "long," amplifying the sense of vast, unending time conveyed by 遠.
遠方えんぽう (enpō) — a distant place or far away. Often used when referring to people from afar, such as 遠方えんぽうからの来客らいきゃく (enpō kara no raikyaku - a visitor from afar).

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

Kun'yomi readings are used when the kanji stands alone or is combined with okurigana (送り仮名), which are kana suffixes. These readings often express the core meaning of the kanji as a native Japanese word.

とお.い (tō.i): This is the adjectival form, meaning "far," "distant," or "remote." It's one of the most common ways to use 遠.
遠いとおい (tōi) — far, distant. For example, 家いえから学校がっこうまで遠いとおい (ie kara gakkō made tōi - The school is far from home).
遠回りとまわり (tōmawari) — a detour, a roundabout way. Here, 遠 (tō) combines with 回り (mawari - around, turn).
遠目とおめ (tōme) — a distant view, looking from a distance.
とお.ざかる (tō.zakaru): This is an intransitive verb meaning "to go far away," "to recede," or "to become distant." It describes something moving away on its own.
遠ざかるとおざかる (tōzakaru) — to recede. 船ふねが岸きしから遠ざかるとおざかる (fune ga kishi kara tōzakaru - The ship recedes from the shore).
記憶きおくが遠ざかるとおざかる (kioku ga tōzakaru) — memories fade or become distant.
とお.ざける (tō.zakeru): This is a transitive verb meaning "to keep at a distance," "to push away," or "to avoid." It implies an action taken by someone or something to create distance.
危険きけんなものを子供こどもから遠ざけるとおざける (kiken na mono o kodomo kara tōzakeru - to keep dangerous things away from children).
自分じぶんを人ひとから遠ざけるとおざける (jibun o hito kara tōzakeru) — to distance oneself from people.

Common Words & Compounds

You'll find 遠 in many common Japanese words and compounds, showing its flexibility in expressing distance across different situations. Here are some important examples, grouped to help you understand them better:

**Related to General Distance/Space:**

遠足えんそく (ensoku) — excursion, field trip. A planned journey to a distant place for leisure or education.
遠近えんきん (enkin) — far and near, distance; perspective. Essential for understanding visual depth.
遠洋えんよう (en'yō) — distant seas, open ocean. Often used in phrases like 遠洋漁業えんようぎょぎょう (en'yō gyogyō - deep-sea fishing).
遠方えんぽう (enpō) — a distant place, far away. Refers to locations geographically removed.
遠隔えんかく (enkaku) — remote, distant. Commonly seen in terms like 遠隔操作えんかくそうさ (enkaku sōsa - remote control) or 遠隔授業えんかくじゅぎょう (enkaku jugyō - remote learning).
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**Related to Time & Perception:**    
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永遠えいえん (eien) — eternity, perpetuity. Describes something lasting an infinitely long time.
遠い昔とおいむかし (tōi mukashi) — a long time ago, distant past.
遠視えんし (enshi) — farsightedness, hyperopia. The inability to see near objects clearly, literally "far sight."
遠見とおみ (tōmi) — looking from a distance; a distant view.
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**Related to Movement & Action:**    
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遠回りとまわり (tōmawari) — a detour, a roundabout way. Taking a longer path to reach a destination.
遠出とおで (tōde) — a long trip, outing. Going out to a distant place.
遠ざかるとおざかる (tōzakaru) — to go far away, to recede (intransitive). The action of becoming distant.
遠ざけるとおざける (tōzakeru) — to keep at a distance, to push away (transitive). The action of making something distant.

Example Sentences

ここから駅えきまでは遠いとおいですか。

Koko kara eki made wa tōi desu ka?

Is the station far from here?

子供こどもたちは遠足えんそくをとても楽たのしみにしています。

Kodomo-tachi wa ensoku o totemo tanoshimi ni shiteimasu.

The children are really looking forward to their excursion.

私わたしたちの故郷こきょうはとても遠いとおい場所ばしょにあります。

Watashi-tachi no kokyō wa totemo tōi basho ni arimasu.

Our hometown is in a very distant place.

船ふねが水平線すいへいせんの彼方かなたへ遠ざかってとおざかっていきました。

Fune ga suiheisen no kanata e tōzakatte ikimashita.

The ship receded beyond the horizon.

彼かれは危険きけんな場所ばしょから私わたしを遠ざけようとおざけようとしました。

Kare wa kiken na basho kara watashi o tōzakeyō to shimashita.

He tried to keep me away from the dangerous place.

遠隔地えんかくちからの参加者さんかしゃのために、オンラインで会議かいぎを行おこないました。

Enkakuchi kara no sankasha no tame ni, onrain de kaigi o okonaimashita.

We held the meeting online for participants from remote areas.

永遠えいえんの愛あいを誓ちかいますと、彼かれは言いいました。

Eien no ai o chikaimasu to, kare wa iimashita.

He said, "I swear eternal love."

この山道やまみちは遠回りとまわりですが、景色けしきがとても良よいです。

Kono yamamichi wa tōmawari desu ga, keshiki ga totemo ii desu.

This mountain path is a detour, but the scenery is very good.

将来しょうらい、遠いとおい国くにで働はたらくことを夢見ゆめみています。

Shōrai, tōi kuni de hataraku koto o yumemiteimasu.

I dream of working in a distant country in the future.

遠近法えんきんほうを使つかうと、絵えに深ふかみが出でます。

Enkinhō o tsukau to, e ni fukami ga demasu.

Using perspective adds depth to a painting.

Related Kanji

Memory Tip

To remember the kanji 遠 (far, distant), let's break it down into its components and make it easier to remember with a visual story. On the left side, you'll find the radical 辵 (しんにょう), which means "walk" or "movement." You can imagine this as a person walking along a winding path.

The right side is 袁. While 袁 can mean "long robe" or "distant," for our memory aid, let's simplify it. Imagine a person wearing a long robe (袁) traveling a long distance.

So, putting it together, you have a person walking (辵) a long (袁) path, which makes their destination feel very far away. You could also think of a traveler walking so far that their long robe (袁) gets dusty from the long journey (辵). This combination of "walking" and "long/distant" clearly leads to the meaning of "far" or "distant."