Word
向こう
Meaning in Englishover there, beyond, opposite side
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 向こう mean? It denotes a place or direction away from the speaker, most often rendered as over there or the other side in English, and it also operates to refer to the other party or side in a given situation.
Main meanings
- spatial reference — over there, the opposite side relative to the speaker (mukō)
- directional use — toward the distant side or away from the current location (mukō)
- referential use — the other party or group involved in a conversation or scenario (mukō)
- abstract/temporal nuance — the other aspect or future part of a matter in discourse (mukō)
How to use it
Used as a noun, pronoun, or adverb in both casual and formal Japanese to indicate location away from the speaker or listener, to refer to the other party in a situational frame, or to point to a direction or side previously mentioned; common in everyday conversation and writing; commonly paired with particles like へ, の, に to indicate movement, location, or attribution.
Variants and close terms
- あっち (acchi) — casual over there
- そっち (socchi) — toward the listener
- こっち (kocchi) — this side
- 向こう側 (むこうがわ, mukougawa) — the other side
- 向こうへ (むこうへ, mukō e) — toward the far side
Composition
- 向: toward, facing
- う: phonetic ending that forms the noun indicating a direction or side; together they create mukō meaning the far side or over there
Word class
noun/adverb (名詞/副詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
向上
koujou
rise, improvement, progress
N1
動向
doukou
trend, tendency, movement, attitude
N1
志向
shikou
intention, aim
N1
意向
ikou
intention, idea, inclination
N1
日向
hinata
sunny place, in the sun
N2
～向け
～muke
for ~
N2
振り向く
furimuku
to turn one's face, to turn around
N3
傾向
keikou
tendency, trend, inclination
N3
向かい
mukai
opposite side, across from
Kanji