Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "来ます" vs "待ちます"
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
待ちます
まちます (machimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 来ます and 待ちます 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, 待ちます (まちます (machimasu)) translates to "to wait" (Level: N5) and is used for Polite form of 待つ. Used for waiting for someone or something.. 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 "待ちます"
バスを待ちます。
I wait for the bus.
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.".