着く|つくtsuku[1]atamadaka (head-high)

JLPT N5approx.Common
Definitions
  1. godan verb, intransitive verbto arrive at; to reach
    あなたがロンドンに着つく頃ころには晩秋ばんしゅうとなっているだろう。↗
    It will be late autumn when you get to London.
  2. godan verb, intransitive verbto sit on; to sit at (e.g. the table)
    各かく自席じせきにつきなさい。↗
    Go to your respective seats.
Conjugation
Dictionary form着く(つく)
Polite (masu)着きます(つきます)
Negative (nai)着かない(つかない)
polite (masen)着きません(つきません)
classical zu / nu着かず・着かぬ(つかず・つかぬ)
Past (ta)着いた(ついた)
polite (mashita)着きました(つきました)
Past negative (nakatta)着かなかった(つかなかった)
polite (masen deshita)着きませんでした(つきませんでした)
Te form着いて(ついて)
Potential着ける(つける)
Passive着かれる(つかれる)
Causative着かせる(つかせる)
Causative passive着かせられる・着かされる(つかせられる・つかされる)
Conditional (ba)着けば(つけば)
tara着いたら(ついたら)
Volitional着こう(つこう)
polite (mashou)着きましょう(つきましょう)
Imperative着け(つけ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym到着とうちゃくWrittenWritten/formal word for arriving at a destination, common in transport and announcements, as in 「到着時刻」. More formal than 「着く」.
  • Synonym到達とうたつWrittenWritten word for reaching a goal or level, as in 「目標に到達する」; stresses arriving at the endpoint.
  • Synonymたどり着くたどりつくNeutralArriving somewhere only after hardship or struggle, as in 「山頂にたどり着く」.
  • Synonym至るいたるWrittenWritten word for reaching a place, state or point in time, as in 「今日に至る」.
  • Synonym達するたっするWrittenWritten word for reaching a quantity or degree, as in 「目標額に達する」; focuses on numerical attainment.
  • Synonym届くとどくNeutralFor things being delivered or within reach, as in 「荷物が届く」; the subject is usually a thing, not a person.
  • SynonymくるNeutralComing toward where the speaker is; stresses direction of movement, while 「着く」 stresses reaching the endpoint.
  • RelatedやってくるCasualColloquial word for coming, turning up or arriving, as in 「春がやって来る」「突然やって来た」; 「着く」 stresses reaching the destination.
  • Related到来とうらいWrittenWritten word for the arrival of an occasion or era, as in 「チャンスの到来」; not used for a person reaching a station.
  • RelatedまいるFormalHumble language for 「来る/行く」, as in 「ただいま参ります」「担当者が参ります」; used for one's own side.
  • Antonym離れるはなれるNeutralAntonym of 「着く」: leaving a place or becoming separated from something.
  • Antonym発つたつWrittenWritten antonym of 「着く」: departing or setting off, as in 「東京を発つ」.
  • Antonym出発するNeutralAntonym of 「着く」: setting out on a journey; the most common everyday word for departure.

Default to 「着く」 for arriving. Use 「到着」 in formal or transport contexts, 「たどり着く」 for arriving after effort, 「届く」 for deliveries, and 「達する」 for hitting figures. For departure, the everyday choice is 「出発する」, with 「発つ」 in written prose.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 目的地もくてきちに行いきつく。
  2. 席せきや場所ばしょに身みを置おく。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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