Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "急ぎます" vs "間に合う"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
急ぎます
いそぎます (isogimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
間に合う
まにあう (maniau)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 急ぎます and 間に合う are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
急ぎます (いそぎます (isogimasu)) represents "to hurry" (Level: N5) and typically represents Intransitive verb. Used to express the act of doing something quickly because of limited time or urgency..
On the other hand, 間に合う (まにあう (maniau)) translates to "to be on time, to make it in time" (Level: N4) and is used for Intransitive verb. Used to express arriving at a place or completing something by a specific time. Often used with the particle 'に'.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "急ぎます"
時間がないので、急ぎましょう。
There's no time, so let's hurry.
Bilingual Sentence for "間に合う"
電車に間に合うように急ぎました。
I hurried to make it on time for the train.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "時間がないので、急ぎましょう。" (Meaning: "There's no time, so let's hurry.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "急ぎます" fits here because it represents "to hurry" in the context: "There's no time, so let's hurry.".