Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "寝ます" vs "むかえる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
寝ます
ねます (nemasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
むかえる
むかえる (mukaeru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 寝ます and むかえる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
寝ます (ねます (nemasu)) represents "to sleep, to go to bed" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 寝る.
On the other hand, むかえる (むかえる (mukaeru)) translates to "to welcome; to meet; to pick up (a person)" (Level: N5) and is used for Used when meeting someone at a designated place, often to bring them somewhere else, or to welcome a new event/year.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "寝ます"
私は毎日11時に寝ます。
I go to bed at 11 PM every day.
Bilingual Sentence for "むかえる"
空港まで友達を迎えに行きます。
I'm going to the airport to pick up my friend.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "私は毎日11時に ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "I go to bed at 11 PM every day.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "寝ます" fits here because it represents "to sleep, to go to bed" in the context: "I go to bed at 11 PM every day.".