Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "大変" vs "迎える"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
大変
たいへん (taihen)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
迎える
むかえる (mukaeru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 大変 and 迎える are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
大変 (たいへん (taihen)) represents "tough, difficult, serious (na-adjective); very, extremely (adverb)" (Level: N5) and typically represents Can be an な-adjective.
On the other hand, 迎える (むかえる (mukaeru)) translates to "to welcome, to meet (someone at a place)" (Level: N4) and is used for To go out to meet someone upon their arrival, to receive a guest, or to welcome an event/season. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "大変"
この仕事は時間がかかって大変です。
This job takes a long time and is tough.
Bilingual Sentence for "迎える"
空港に友達を迎えに行った。
I went to the airport to meet my friend.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この仕事は時間がかかって ＿＿＿ です。" (Meaning: "This job takes a long time and is tough.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "大変" fits here because it represents "tough, difficult, serious (na-adjective); very, extremely (adverb)" in the context: "This job takes a long time and is tough.".