Translation guide
The English word "corner" has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common ones for learners: a physical corner (inside or outside), a street corner, a remote area, and a difficult situation. Japanese uses different words depending on the type of corner.
The inside angle where two walls, surfaces, or edges meet.
Refers to an inside corner, like the corner of a room or a box. Often used for places where things gather or are tucked away.
I put the desk in the corner of the room.
箱の隅に小さなメモがあった。
There was a small note in the corner of the box.
Loanword from English. Often used for designated areas within a larger space, like a kitchen corner or a reading corner. Can also mean a section or feature.
このカフェには子供用のプレイコーナーがある。
This cafe has a play corner for kids.
The outside angle or edge where two surfaces meet, like the corner of a table or building.
Refers to an outside corner or edge, such as the corner of a table, street, or building. Can also mean a sharp edge.
テーブルの角に頭をぶつけた。
I hit my head on the corner of the table.
あの建物の角を曲がってください。
Please turn at the corner of that building.
Also used for outside corners, especially in sports (e.g., corner kick) or when referring to a curved corner. Less common for sharp edges.
The place where two streets meet, often used for giving directions or describing locations.
The most common word for a street corner. Can be used with or without specifying the street name.
次の角を右に曲がってください。
Turn right at the next corner.
あの角にコンビニがある。
There's a convenience store on that corner.
Literally 'turning corner'. Emphasizes the point where you turn. Often used in directions.
Literally 'town corner'. Has a slightly nostalgic or poetic feel, often used in phrases like '街角のカフェ' (street-corner cafe).
A quiet, out-of-the-way place, often far from the center of activity.
Means 'one corner' or 'remote corner'. Implies a small, often overlooked part of a larger area. Can be physical or metaphorical.
彼は都会の片隅で静かに暮らしている。
He lives quietly in a corner of the city.
Colloquial form of 隅, meaning a small corner or nook. Often used when talking about a cozy or hidden spot.
Means 'remote place' or 'backcountry'. Stronger than 'corner', used for isolated areas far from civilization.
A situation from which it is hard to escape, often used in phrases like 'backed into a corner' or 'in a tight corner'.
Passive form of 追い詰める (to corner someone). Means 'to be cornered' or 'to be driven into a corner'. Commonly used for both physical and metaphorical situations.
彼は追い詰められて、嘘をついた。
He was cornered and told a lie.
Means 'to be put in a predicament' or 'to be in a tight spot'. More formal and often used in serious contexts.
会社は窮地に立たされている。
The company is in a tight corner.
The edge of one's field of vision, as in 'out of the corner of my eye'.
Literally 'corner of the field of vision'. The standard way to express this concept.
視界の隅で何かが動いた。
Something moved in the corner of my eye.
Literally 'edge of the eye'. Often used in the phrase '目の端で捉える' (to catch out of the corner of one's eye).
彼女が部屋を出ていくのを目の端で見た。
I saw her leave the room out of the corner of my eye.
隅 (すみ) is an inside corner (concave), like the corner of a room. 角 (かど) is an outside corner (convex), like the corner of a table or a street corner. Using the wrong one can cause confusion. For example, 部屋の角 (へやのかど) would mean the outside corner of the room (from the outside), while 部屋の隅 (へやのすみ) means the inside corner.
部屋の隅にゴミがたまっている。
Dust has gathered in the corner of the room.
机の角に肘をぶつけた。
I hit my elbow on the corner of the desk.
While コーナー is used for corners in many contexts, it is not natural for sharp, angular corners like the edge of a table. Use 角 (かど) instead. コーナー is better for rounded corners or designated areas.
彼はコーナーからシュートを決めた。
He scored from the corner.
曲がり角を左に入ると、郵便局があります。
Turn left at the corner and you'll find the post office.
街角で偶然友達に会った。
I ran into a friend on the street corner.
子供は部屋の隅っこで本を読んでいた。
The child was reading a book in the corner of the room.
The village is in a remote corner of the mountains.
A four-character idiom meaning 'desperate situation' or 'no way out'. Stronger than 'cornered', implies a life-or-death crisis.
彼は絶体絶命のピンチを切り抜けた。
He got out of a desperate corner.