着く vs 届く
Japanese word comparison
Listen to 着く
Listen to 届く
| 着く | 届く |
|---|---|
tsu-KU verb (intransitive, godan) | とどく (todoku) verb (intransitive, godan) |
| to arrive (at a place); to reach | to reach; to be delivered or come to someone (used for mail, packages, messages, or effects reaching someone) |
How they differ
届く emphasizes delivery or the idea that something reaches a recipient (or a person's ears/feelings), and is not normally used for people or vehicles arriving at a place, whereas 着く is used for physical arrival of people/vehicles at a location.
When to use each
When to use 着く: Prefer 着く when referring to a person, vehicle, or yourself arriving at a place.
When to use 届く: Prefer 届く when talking about mail, packages, reports, messages, or when something 'reaches' someone (physically received or perceived).
Side-by-side examples
- 荷物は明日着くでしょう。
(The package will arrive tomorrow.) - 荷物は明日届くでしょう。
(The package will be delivered/reach (you) tomorrow.)
Register & nuance: 届く and 着く are both neutral, but 届く is the normal choice for delivery/receipt contexts and for non-physical 'reach' usages.