来る

Japanese

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese 來 (ku), from Proto-Japonic *ku. Compare the development of modern する (suru) from Old Japanese す.

First attested in the Kojiki of 712.

Cognate with Kunigami 来ん (sun), Miyako 来 (ksï), Okinawan 来ーん (chuun), Yaeyama 来ん (kïn), Yonaguni 来ん (kun).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) く​る (Atamadaka – )
• (Mishima) くる (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Verb

来(く)る • (kuru) intransitive kuru (stem 来(き) (ki), past 来(き)た (kita))

1. to come (toward the speaker/writer)

   お客(きゃく)さんがあまり来(こ)ないお店(みせ)

   o-kyaku-san ga amari konai o-mise

   a shop that does not see many visitors

2. (specifically, of a sensation) to come and stimulate

   心(こころ)に来(く)る悲(かな)しさ

   kokoro ni kuru kanashisa

   sadness that strikes the heart

   喉(のど)に来(く)る辛(から)さ

   nodo ni kuru karasa

   spiciness that assaults the throat

   胃(い)に来(く)る

   i ni kuru

   to noticeably affect the stomach

   メンタルにくる

   mentaru ni kuru

   mentally taxing

3. (と来たら (to kitara)) when it comes to
4. (auxiliary, after the て-form of a verb, usually spelled in hiragana) to happen to do something, to come to do something

Conjugation

Antonyms

• 行(い)く (iku): (verb) go

Derived terms

• 迫(せま)り来(く)る (semarikuru)
• 持(も)って来(く)る (motte kuru): (verb) bring something
• 連(つ)れて来(く)る (tsurete kuru): (verb) bring someone
• 来(く)る日(ひ) (kuruhi)

Etymology 2

From 来(き) (ki, continuative form of etymology 1) + 至(いた)る (itaru).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) きた​る (Nakadaka – )
• (Tokyo) きたる (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Verb

来(きた)る • (kitaru) intransitive godan (stem 来(きた)り (kitari), past 来(きた)った (kitatta))

1. to come, to arrive
   • 2011, NHK, 天皇誕生日 皇居で一般参賀:

     来(きた)る年(とし)が皆(みな)さん一人(ひとり)びとりにとり、よい年(とし)であるよう祈(いの)っています。

     Kitaru toshi ga mina-san hitoribitori ni tori, yoi toshi de aru yō inotte imasu.

     I pray that next year will be a good year for each of you.

Conjugation

See also

• 来(きた)す (kitasu)

References