Quadruple VS
Synonym Boundary: "来ます", "来る", "くる", "迎えに来る"
All represent the core concept "come", but require precise selection.
Japanese Option A
来ます
きます (kimasu)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B
来る
くる (kuru)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option C
くる
くる (kuru)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option D
迎えに来る
むかえにくる (mukae ni kuru)
N4 / CEFR
Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
When expressing "come" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "来ます", "来る", "くる", "迎えに来る" based on context.
- 来ます (きます (kimasu) - Level: N5): Maps to "to come (polite form)" and is used when Polite form of 来る.
- 来る (くる (kuru) - Level: N5): Maps to "to come" and is used when Used for movement towards the speaker's location or a specified location. Polite form is 来ます.
- くる (くる (kuru) - Level: N5): Maps to "to come" and is used when Used for movement towards the speaker's current location or a specific point of reference. This is an irregular verb. The polite form is 来ます.
- 迎えに来る (むかえにくる (mukae ni kuru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to come to pick up (someone)" and is used when Used when someone comes to a location with the purpose of picking up another person. The particle に indicates purpose. The related phrase 迎えに行く.
Context for "来ます"
友達が家に来ます。
My friend comes to my house.
Context for "来る"
明日、彼が家に来ます。
He will come to my house tomorrow.
Context for "くる"
友達が家に来ます。
My friend comes to my house.
Context for "迎えに来る"
友達が駅まで私を迎えに来てくれました。
My friend came to pick me up at the station.
Synonym Mastery Challenge
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" is correct here because it represents "to come (polite form)" in the context: "My friend comes to my house.".