How to Say ‘It's not that far.’ in Japanese
そんなに遠くないですよ。
sonna ni tooku nai desu yo
[sonna nee TOH-koo nai dess yoh]
💬 Usage Tip: To say an い word is "not" something, drop the final い and add くない: 遠い becomes 遠くない. Likewise 高い "expensive" becomes 高くない "not expensive".
Phrase Breakdown
そんなに
sonna ni
not that much / so
そんなに (sonna ni) means 'that much'. It is used with a negative to soften it. Pronounce the 'nn' clearly: 'son-na-ni'.
そんなに高くないです。
It's not that expensive.
Words in this phrase
そんな
sonna
[sonna]
that kind of; that much
Refers to a degree or manner, often meaning 'that much' in teasing or playful comments.
そんなに見つめられると、照れます。
If you stare at me that much, I’ll get shy.
に
ni
[nee]
(adverb-forming particle)
Turns そんな into an adverb meaning 'that much'.
そんなに高くないです。
It's not that expensive.
遠くないですよ。
tooku nai desu yo
it's not far
遠くない (tookunai) is the negative of 遠い, meaning 'not far'. です makes it polite, and よ adds reassurance. Say 'too-ku-nai des-yo'.
駅は遠くないですよ。
The station isn't far.
Words in this phrase
遠く
tooku
[TOH-koo]
far (stem form)
The -ku form of 遠い, used before ない to negate.
駅は遠くないです。
The station isn't far.
ない
nai
[nai]
not
This negative part shows not doing the action.
きにしないで、とつたえます。
I tell someone, “Don’t worry about it.”
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
Polite form of 'to be' used in many basic sentences.
こちらで大丈夫です。
This is fine.
よ
yo
[yoh]
you know; reassurance
Adds friendly emphasis or reassurance to what the speaker says.
大丈夫ですよ。
It’s okay, you know.
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