What is the difference between "もってくる", "持ってくる", "連れてくる", "寄せる", "言い出す"?

"もってくる" means "to bring (something here)", "持ってくる" means "to bring (something to the speaker/here)", "連れてくる" means "to bring (a person/animal); to take (a person/animal) along", "寄せる" means "to bring near, to gather, to move closer", "言い出す" means "to bring up, to suggest".

Quintuple VS

Synonym Boundary: "もってくる", "持ってくる", "連れてくる", "寄せる", "言い出す"

All represent the core concept "bring", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

もってくる

もってくる (motte kuru)

N5 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

持ってくる

もってくる (mottekuru)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

連れてくる

つれてくる (tsurete kuru)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

寄せる

よせる (yoseru)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option E

言い出す

いいだす (iidasu)

B2 / CEFR

Quintuple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "bring" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "もってくる", "持ってくる", "連れてくる", "寄せる", "言い出す" based on context.

もってくる (もってくる (motte kuru) - Level: N5): Maps to "to bring (something here)" and is used when Implies moving an object from another location towards the current.
持ってくる (もってくる (mottekuru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to bring (something to the speaker/here)" and is used when This compound verb combines 持つ.
連れてくる (つれてくる (tsurete kuru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to bring (a person/animal); to take (a person/animal) along" and is used when 人や動物をある場所へ「一緒に」来ることを表します。「持ってくる.
寄せる (よせる (yoseru) - Level: N3): Maps to "to bring near, to gather, to move closer" and is used when 物理的に物や人を近づける、または考えや感情を集める場合によく使われます。例：車を路肩に寄せる、思いを寄せる。 / Often used for physically moving things or people closer, or for gathering abstract things like thoughts or feelings. E.g., to pull a car to the side of the road, to harbor feelings for someone..
言い出す (いいだす (iidasu) - Level: B2): Maps to "to bring up, to suggest" and is used when Essential structural term in CEFR B2 vocabulary syllabus..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!

Context for "もってくる"

ここにペンを持ってきてください。

Please bring a pen here.

Context for "持ってくる"

明日、宿題を学校に持ってきてください。

Please bring your homework to school tomorrow.

Context for "連れてくる"

友達をパーティーに連れてきました。

I brought my friend to the party.

Context for "寄せる"

彼は窓から景色を見るために、椅子を窓際に寄せた。

He moved the chair closer to the window to see the view.

Context for "言い出す"

毎日、日本語を練習するために言い出す。

Every day, I bring up, to suggest to practice Japanese.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "ここにペンを持ってきてください。" (Meaning: "Please bring a pen here.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "もってくる" is correct here because it represents "to bring (something here)" in the context: "Please bring a pen here.".