What is the difference between "持って来る", "持ってくる", "寄せる", "もたらす"?

"持って来る" means "to bring (something)", "持ってくる" means "to bring (something to the speaker/here)", "寄せる" means "to bring near, to gather, to move closer", "もたらす" means "to bring about, to cause, to result in, to introduce".

Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "持って来る", "持ってくる", "寄せる", "もたらす"

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

Japanese Option A

持って来る

もってくる (motte kuru)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

持ってくる

もってくる (mottekuru)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

寄せる

よせる (yoseru)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

もたらす

もたらす (motarasu)

N2 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "bring" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "持って来る", "持ってくる", "寄せる", "もたらす" based on context.

持って来る (もってくる (motte kuru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to bring (something)" and is used when A compound verb combining '持つ'.
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.
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..
もたらす (もたらす (motarasu) - Level: N2): Maps to "to bring about, to cause, to result in, to introduce" and is used when Often used for abstract things like results, effects, changes, or benefits/disadvantages. It's more formal than 持っていく. 例: 利益をもたらす.

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

Context for "持って来る"

明日、宿題を持って来てください。

Please bring your homework tomorrow.

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 "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 "もたらす"

その新しい政策は社会に大きな変化をもたらした。

The new policy brought about significant changes in society.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "明日、宿題を持って来てください。" (Meaning: "Please bring your homework tomorrow.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "持って来る" is correct here because it represents "to bring (something)" in the context: "Please bring your homework tomorrow.".