峠
とうげ · touge (also spelled toge)
(mountain) pass, highest point on a mountain road, ridge
- peak (e.g. of summer), worst (e.g. of an illness), crisis, critical point, most difficult part
Other ways to say “pass” in Japanese →
falls on the next particle · what is pitch accent?
How it’s used
Learners encounter 峠 mainly in literary or scenic contexts for mountain passes, and in set phrases like 峠を越す for passing a peak or crisis.
Not to be confused with 坂 (saka), which is any slope or hill, while 峠 specifically means the highest point of a mountain pass.
Example sentences
この峠を越えれば海が見える。
Once we cross this mountain pass, we'll see the sea.
Nihoner
病状は峠を越しました。
The patient has passed the critical stage.
Nihoner
Say it out loud
Press the microphone and say 峠 (とうげ)
Your browser’s speech recognition checks whether it understood you (in Chrome, Google processes the audio). Nihoner doesn’t record anything.
Do you really know it?
Learn its family in 60 seconds
6 words that share a kanji with 峠. Tap each card — then save only the ones that are new to you.
Your memory hook
Link the sound or the kanji to something you already know — a personal hook is one of the fastest ways to make a word stick. It’s saved to your free account with the word.
Kanji in this word
Can you write it? Draw kanji from memory →
Words that share a kanji
Questions
What does 峠 mean?
(mountain) pass, highest point on a mountain road, ridge. It can also mean: peak (e.g. of summer), worst (e.g. of an illness), crisis, critical point, most difficult part.
How do you pronounce 峠?
とうげ (touge). Pitch accent: odaka — falls on the next particle. Press Listen above to hear it.
What JLPT level is 峠?
JLPT N2 — upper intermediate. See the JLPT N2 guide.
How do I remember 峠?
Say it out loud with an example sentence, test yourself above, then save it to your deck: Nihoner brings it back just before you would forget it (spaced repetition).
Save your words
Create a free account and they will be waiting in your review deck — Nihoner brings each one back right before you would forget it.
Free · no card · your words are kept