What is the difference between "迎えに来る", "叶う", "〜てくる", "差し掛かる", "綻びる"?

"迎えに来る" means "to come to pick up (someone)", "叶う" means "to come true, to be granted (wish, dream)", "〜てくる" means "to come doing; to start doing; to become (up to now)", "差し掛かる" means "to come to (a place), to approach, to be on the verge of", "綻びる" means "to come open, to fray, to smile (slightly), to blossom (flowers)".

Quintuple VS

Synonym Boundary: "迎えに来る", "叶う", "〜てくる", "差し掛かる", "綻びる"

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

Japanese Option A

迎えに来る

むかえにくる (mukae ni kuru)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

叶う

かなう (kanau)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

〜てくる

〜てくる (te kuru)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

差し掛かる

さしかかる (sashikakaru)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option E

綻びる

ほころびる (hokorobiru)

N2 / CEFR

Quintuple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "come" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "迎えに来る", "叶う", "〜てくる", "差し掛かる", "綻びる" based on context.

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.
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.
〜てくる (〜てくる (te kuru) - Level: N3): Maps to "to come doing; to start doing; to become (up to now)" and is used when Indicates a change or action that progresses from the past up to the present, or an action moving towards the speaker. It suggests a process or continuation that has led to the current state..
差し掛かる (さしかかる (sashikakaru) - Level: N2): Maps to "to come to (a place), to approach, to be on the verge of" and is used when ある場所や時間、段階に近づくことや、そこに着くことを表します。物理的な場所だけでなく、時期や年齢にも使われます。.
綻びる (ほころびる (hokorobiru) - Level: N2): Maps to "to come open, to fray, to smile (slightly), to blossom (flowers)" and is used when Often used for seams coming undone, clothes fraying, or flowers beginning to open. Can also describe a slight smile..

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

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.

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 "〜てくる"

日本に来てから、ずっと日本語を勉強してきました。

Since coming to Japan, I have been studying Japanese continuously.

Context for "差し掛かる"

列車はまもなく駅に差し掛かるだろう。

The train will soon approach the station.

Context for "綻びる"

セーターの袖口が少し綻びてきた。

The cuff of my sweater has started to fray a bit.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "友達が駅まで私を迎えに来てくれました。" (Meaning: "My friend came to pick me up at the station.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "迎えに来る" is correct here because it represents "to come to pick up (someone)" in the context: "My friend came to pick me up at the station.".