隔てる

• Reading: へだてる
• Romaji: hedateru
• Kanji breakdown: 隔 (heda/kaku) — to separate, isolate, partition
• Pronunciation: /he.da.te.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To separate; to isolate; to partition; to divide. Used for creating distance or barriers between things, people, or concepts.

A Group 2 (ichidan) transitive verb. Can describe physical separation (a wall dividing rooms), temporal distance (years apart), or emotional distance (creating barriers between people). The passive form 隔てられる and the noun 隔たり (gap/distance) are also common.

Examples

1. 海を隔てた向こうに島が見える。 You can see an island across the sea.
2. 二人の間には大きな隔たりがあった。 There was a great divide between the two of them.
3. 壁一枚を隔てて隣の部屋の声が聞こえる。 Separated by just one wall, I can hear voices from the next room.

Usage Guide

Context: geography, relationships, physical spaces

Tone: descriptive

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 隔 means 'to separate' or 'to be distant,' combining the radical for barrier with a phonetic element suggesting division.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal