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Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "来る", "くる", "叶う", "かなう"

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

Japanese Option A

来る

くる (kuru)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

くる

くる (kuru)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

叶う

かなう (kanau)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

かなう

かなう (kanau)
N2 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "come" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "来る", "くる", "叶う", "かなう" based on context.
  • 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.
  • 叶う (かなう (kanau) - Level: N3): Maps to "to come true, to be granted (wish, dream)" and is used when Used exclusively for wishes, dreams, hopes, or prayers being realized or fulfilled. It's the opposite of 夢が破れる.
  • かなう (かなう (kanau) - Level: N2): Maps to "to come true (wish); to be realized (dream); to match; to be equal to" and is used when Primarily means for a wish or dream to be fulfilled.
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
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 "叶う"
いつか海外で働くという夢が叶いました。
My dream of working overseas finally came true.
Context for "かなう"
彼の長年の夢がついにかなった。
His long-cherished dream finally came true.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

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" is correct here because it represents "to come" in the context: "He will come to my house tomorrow.".

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