着く
tsuku[t͡sɨkɯ̟]
The English phrase "come" can be translated into Japanese as 着く (tsuku), meaning to arrive or appear. Wiktionary also lists 到着する (tōchaku suru).
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 着く | tsuku | [t͡sɨkɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 到着する | tōchaku suru |
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 着く is 着いた, which means "arrived".
How do you pronounce it?
tsuku
Did you know?
- Japanese distinguishes between 'coming' toward the speaker and 'going' away from them. If you tell a friend 'I'm coming!' to a location where they already are, you must use the verb for 'go' (行く), not 'come'.
- The kanji 着 is used both for 着く (to arrive) and 着る (to wear). The meaning changes based on the grammatical conjugation and context.
- The word 着く can also mean 'to be attached' or 'to stick', such as when a leaf 'arrives' on a branch or a label 'arrives' on a package.
Examples in context
- 放っておけば落ち着くよ。Let him alone. He'll soon come around by himself.This sentence uses 着く to describe someone coming around or settling down.Tatoeba #196587 by small_snow, translation #33766 by Dejo
- 彼女、あと５分で着くって連絡があったのに、まだ来ないよ。She said she would arrive in 5 more minutes, but she still hasn't come.This sentence uses 着く to express the idea of arriving at a destination.Tatoeba #901642 by bunbuku, translation #5260645 by Blurk
- 電車がもうすぐ着くよ。densha ga mou sugu tsuku yo.The train will arrive soon.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are waiting at a train station.
- 美咲 Misaki健太くん、もうすぐ電車が着く？Kenta-kun, mou sugu densha ga tsuku?Kenta, is the train arriving soon?
- 健太 Kentaうん、あと２分で着くと思う。Un, ato ni-fun de tsuku to omou.Yeah, I think it will arrive in two minutes.
- 美咲 Misakiよかった、やっと着くね。Yokatta, yatto tsuku ne.Good, it's finally arriving.
- 健太 Kenta急いでホームに移動しよう。Isoide ho-mu ni idou shiyou.Let's hurry to the platform.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “come” translations and entries 着く, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
