落ち合う・落合う|おちあうochiau[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
落ち合う落ち合う（おちあう） is the most common written form and the recommended choice for beginners. Use it for arranged meetups and for roads or rivers joining.
落合う落合う（おちあう） is a less common written variant of 落ち合う（おちあう）. You may encounter it in writing, but choose 落ち合う（おちあう） when writing the word yourself.
Definitions
- godan verb, intransitive verbto meet up (as arranged); to rendezvous; to get together君の家と私の家の中間で落ち合うことにしよう。↗Let's meet halfway between your house and mine.
- godan verb, intransitive verbto join (of roads, rivers, etc.); to flow together
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 落ち合う（おちあう） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 落ち合います（おちあいます） |
| Negative (nai) | 落ち合わない（おちあわない） |
| polite (masen) | 落ち合いません（おちあいません） |
| classical zu / nu | 落ち合わず・落ち合わぬ（おちあわず・おちあわぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 落ち合った（おちあった） |
| polite (mashita) | 落ち合いました（おちあいました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 落ち合わなかった（おちあわなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 落ち合いませんでした（おちあいませんでした） |
| Te form | 落ち合って（おちあって） |
| Potential | 落ち合える（おちあえる） |
| Passive | 落ち合われる（おちあわれる） |
| Causative | 落ち合わせる（おちあわせる） |
| Causative passive | 落ち合わせられる・落ち合わされる（おちあわせられる・おちあわされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 落ち合えば（おちあえば） |
| tara | 落ち合ったら（おちあったら） |
| Volitional | 落ち合おう（おちあおう） |
| polite (mashou) | 落ち合いましょう（おちあいましょう） |
| Imperative | 落ち合え（おちあえ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym出会うであうNeutralFor chance encounters or first getting to know someone, as in 「運命の人に出会う」; unlike 「落ち合う」, nothing is arranged.
- SynonymあうNeutralThe everyday, most common word for meeting someone; it does not carry the nuance of meeting at an agreed spot.
- Synonym会するかいするWrittenWritten style for people gathering with a purpose, as in 「一堂に会する」; the focus is on assembling.
- Synonym顔を合わせるかおをあわせるNeutralTo meet someone face to face, stressing the moment the faces meet; also used for facing off in a contest, as in 「顔を合わせる機会」.
- Related出くわすでくわすNeutralTo bump into someone by chance, as in 「知人に出くわす」; the emphasis is on the unexpectedness, not on a plan.
- Relatedめぐり合うめぐりあうNeutralTo finally meet after long searching or many twists of fate; it feels destined and is never prearranged.
- Related面会めんかいNeutralA formal visit or interview, as in 「面会時間」; typical of hospitals and prisons.
- Related合流ごうりゅうNeutralFor rivers merging or groups joining up, as in 「途中で合流する」.
- Related遭遇そうぐうNeutralTo run into something unforeseen, often an accident or a hostile force, as in 「事故に遭遇する」; nothing about it is arranged in advance, unlike 「落ち合う」.
- Related御目文字おめもじWrittenA woman's polite term for meeting someone; old-fashioned letter language, seldom used today.
- Related一緒になるいっしょになるNeutralTo come together in one place; also means to marry and become a couple; no nuance of an arranged meeting spot.
- Related相見るあいみるWrittenTo face each other; written, archaic language not used in daily conversation; stresses the meeting of faces.
- Related会遇かいぐうWrittenA written word for meeting by chance, used rarely; it carries no sense of a prearranged rendezvous.
- Related遭逢そうほうWrittenTo meet by chance; written and archaic, not used in everyday speech; the chance element is what it stresses.
- Antonym分かれるわかれるNeutralAntonym: to split, branch off or go separate ways — the opposite of arranging to meet up.
- Antonym離れるはなれるNeutralAntonym: to leave or be separated — the opposite of coming together in one place.
Use 「落ち合う」 for meeting at an arranged time and place, as in 「駅で落ち合う」. For meeting in general choose 「会う」, for chance encounters 「出くわす」, and for rivers or groups joining up 「合流」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
