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JLPT N116画 · 16 strokesradical 阜freq #1083

neighboring

On'yomi (音読み)

  • リン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • とな.る
  • となり

Mnemonic

Imagine a towering hill (阜) where a friendly neighbor hangs a sign that says 'Come join us next door!' to invite you to their cozy dinner.

About this kanji

The kanji 隣 (となり) primarily means ‘neighboring’ or ‘next to.’ It is often used as a noun, referring to nearby places or people. Common compounds include 近隣 (きんりん), which means ‘neighborhood,’ and 隣国 (りんごく), which refers to a ‘neighboring country.’ Another useful term is 隣人 (りんじん), meaning ‘neighbor’ – the person who lives next to you. This kanji helps express the idea of closeness, both physically and in terms of community. When using it in conversation, you can refer to both homes and people, making it a versatile part of your Japanese vocabulary.

Example sentences

  • 隣に新しい家が建った。

    A new house was built next door.

Meanings across languages

English
neighboring
Tiếng Việt
hàng xóm
日本語
隣人
한국어
이웃
中文
id
tetangga
th
ที่อยู่ใกล้
es
vecino
fr
adjacent
de
nachbarlich
pt
vizinho

Common compounds

  • 近隣きんりんneighbourhood, neighborhood, vicinity
  • 隣国りんごくneighbouring country, neighboring country, adjacent country
  • 善隣ぜんりんgood neighbour, good neighbor
  • 隣家りんかneighbouring house, neighboring house
  • 隣人りんじんneighbour, neighbor, (people in the) neighbourhood
  • 隣接りんせつadjacency, contiguity, being adjoined
  • 隣室りんしつnext or adjoining room
  • 隣り合うとなりあうto adjoin each other, to sit side by side

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