遠い

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 遠い, read とおい, is an i-adjective meaning far or distant.
• Basic usage: It describes distance from a reference point or a place situated far away.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Reference point and described place
  • 家から海までは遠い describes the distance from the house to the sea as long.
  • Before a noun, it attaches directly as in 遠い町, without な.
• Forms and spelling
  • The negative is 遠くない.
  • The past is 遠かった.
  • The reading is spelled とおい. Only the final い changes when the adjective is inflected.