Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "できる" vs "着く"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
できる
できる (dekiru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
着く
つく (tsuku)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both できる and 着く are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
できる (できる (dekiru)) represents "to be able to, to be completed, to be made, to be built (intransitive)" (Level: N4) and typically represents An intransitive verb with multiple meanings: 'to be able to.
On the other hand, 着く (つく (tsuku)) translates to "to arrive" (Level: N4) and is used for An intransitive verb meaning to arrive at a destination. Often used with the particle に. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "できる"
この家は来月にはできるでしょう。
This house will probably be completed by next month.
Bilingual Sentence for "着く"
飛行機は午後3時に空港に着きます。
The plane will arrive at the airport at 3 PM.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この家は来月には ＿＿＿ でしょう。" (Meaning: "This house will probably be completed by next month.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "できる" fits here because it represents "to be able to, to be completed, to be made, to be built (intransitive)" in the context: "This house will probably be completed by next month.".