Meaning and Usage
"迎え" (むかえ) refers to the act of meeting or picking someone up, often used when someone is sent to receive or greet an arriving person. It is commonly used in everyday situations such as meeting friends, family, or colleagues at stations, airports, or other arrival points.
Common Contexts
This noun is often paired with places like "駅の迎え" (station pickup) or "空港の迎え" (airport pickup). It can also describe the person or vehicle sent to pick someone up.
Collocations and Patterns
- "迎えに行く" (to go to pick someone up): used when the subject goes to meet someone.
- "迎えに来る" (to come to pick someone up): used when the subject comes to meet someone.
- "迎えの車" (car sent to pick someone up): refers to the vehicle waiting or coming to pick someone up.
Register and Nuance
"迎え" is neutral and polite enough for everyday conversation and formal situations. It is not casual slang but standard Japanese.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "迎え" with "向かえ" (also read むかえ), which means "facing" or "opposite side." Remember that "迎え" relates to meeting or receiving people, while "向かえ" relates to direction or position.