Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "来ます" vs "むかえる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
来ます
きます (kimasu)
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 来ます and むかえる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
来ます (きます (kimasu)) represents "to come (polite form)" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 来る.
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 "来ます"
友達が家に来ます。
My friend comes to my house.
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: "友達が家に ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "My friend comes to my house.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "来ます" fits here because it represents "to come (polite form)" in the context: "My friend comes to my house.".