距離（きょり、kyori）
- distance

The Japanese word 距離 (きょり) primarily means "distance." It refers to the amount of space between two points, objects, or people. It can be a physical measurement, a figurative concept, or a degree of separation.

⚫︎ 家から学校までの距離はどのくらいですか？ Translation: How far is it from your house to school? ⚫︎ 二人の間には心の距離がある。 Translation: There is a distance of the heart between the two of them. ⚫︎ マラソンで、選手たちは最後の距離を走った。 Translation: In the marathon, the athletes ran the final distance.

⚫︎ 距離 is used in various contexts, including: ⚫︎ Physical measurements: Describing the space between places or objects. ⚫︎ Abstract concepts: Representing the degree of separation in relationships, emotions, or social situations. ⚫︎ Sports and competitions: Indicating the length of a race or the space covered. ⚫︎ It is generally used in formal and informal situations, though the level of formality depends on the context of the sentence.

⚫︎ The word 距離 is typically written in kanji as 距離. ⚫︎ The reading is きょり in hiragana. ⚫︎ There is no variation in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 間隔 (かんかく) - interval, space ⚫︎ 隔たり (へだたり) - distance, gap (often used for emotional or metaphorical distance) ⚫︎ 長さ (ながさ) - length

⚫︎ 近さ (ちかさ) - closeness, nearness ⚫︎ 接近 (せっきん) - approach, coming close ⚫︎ 近道 (ちかみち) - shortcut

⚫︎ 東京と大阪の間の距離は、約500キロメートルです。 ・Translation: The distance between Tokyo and Osaka is about 500 kilometers. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 距離 to describe the physical distance between two cities.

⚫︎ 彼とは考え方の距離を感じる。 ・Translation: I feel a distance in our way of thinking with him/her. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 距離 in a metaphorical way to describe a difference or gap in viewpoints.

The word 距離 is a compound word. 距 (kyo) means "distance" or "separation," and 離 (ri) means "to leave," "to be apart," or "to separate." The combination of these kanji directly reflects the meaning of 距離 as a space or separation between things.