Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "来る" vs "むかえる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
来る
くる (kuru)
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 来る and むかえる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
来る (くる (kuru)) represents "to come" (Level: N5) and typically represents Used for movement towards the speaker's location or a specified location. Polite form is 来ます.
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 "来る"
明日、彼が家に来ます。
He will come to my house tomorrow.
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: "明日、彼が家に来ます。" (Meaning: "He will come to my house tomorrow.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "来る" fits here because it represents "to come" in the context: "He will come to my house tomorrow.".