How to Say ‘Is it far?’ in Japanese
遠いですか。
tooi desu ka
[toh-ee dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: Quick and natural. You can also ask about walking specifically: [歩いて遠いですか。]
🇯🇵 In Japan: People may answer honestly but gently, e.g., “a little far” rather than a blunt “very far.”
Phrase Breakdown
遠い
tooi
[toh-ee]
far
Key adjective for asking if a place is far. Often used with ここから / 駅まで.
ここから地下鉄の駅は遠いですか。
Is the subway station far from here?
ですか
desu ka
is it?; (polite question ending)
Polite question ending. With adjectives it asks for confirmation: 遠いですか = “Is it far?”
この店は安いですか。
Is this shop cheap?
Words in this phrase
です
desu
[dess]
is (polite)
Polite copula used after adjectives/nouns in polite speech. 遠いです = “(it) is far.”
遠いですか、近いですか。
Is it far, or is it close?
か
ka
[kah]
question particle
Makes the sentence a question: 遠いですか = “Is it far?”
地下鉄の駅まで歩いて行けますか。
Can I walk to the subway station?
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