YukaGiving directions in Japanese requires some specific vocabulary — including 斜め前 (naname mae). Let’s learn this useful positional expression!
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 〜の右斜め前 | ~ no migi naname mae | diagonally in front and to the right of ~ |
| 斜め | naname | diagonal / at an angle |
| 右 | migi | right |
| 前 | mae | front / in front of |
Understanding 斜め (Diagonal)
斜め (naname) means diagonal or at an angle. Combined with direction words, it expresses positions between the standard four directions:
- 右斜め前 (migi naname mae) — diagonally forward and to the right
- 左斜め前 (hidari naname mae) — diagonally forward and to the left
- 右斜め後ろ (migi naname ushiro) — diagonally behind and to the right
- 左斜め後ろ (hidari naname ushiro) — diagonally behind and to the left
Using 〜の右斜め前 in Directions
In directions or describing positions, this pattern is very useful:
- 駅の右斜め前にコンビニがある。 — There’s a convenience store diagonally to the front-right of the station.
- 私の右斜め前に座っている人。 — The person sitting diagonally to the front-right of me.
- 交差点の左斜め前に病院があります。 — There’s a hospital diagonally to the front-left of the intersection.
ReiIs 斜め used for anything other than physical directions?
YukaYes! 斜め上 (naname ue) means “unexpectedly great / surpassing expectations” in internet slang — “That was diagonally above what I expected!”
Direction Vocabulary Summary
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 右前 | migi mae | front-right |
| 左前 | hidari mae | front-left |
| 右斜め前 | migi naname mae | diagonally front-right |
| 左斜め後ろ | hidari naname ushiro | diagonally back-left |
Quick Quiz
How would you say “the building diagonally to the front-left of the park”?
Answer: 公園の左斜め前のビル
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