迎え

• Reading: むかえ
• Romaji: mukae
• Kanji breakdown: 迎 (mukae/gei) — welcome, meet, greet
• Pronunciation: /mɯ.ka.e/

Meaning

Meeting; greeting; welcoming. A person or act of picking someone up at a designated place.

A noun derived from the verb 迎える (to welcome, to go to meet). Most commonly used in お迎え, referring to picking someone up — especially children from school or guests at a station. Contrasts with 見送り (seeing off). Common expressions include 迎えに行く (to go pick someone up) and 迎えが来る (the pickup has arrived).

Examples

1. 母が駅まで迎えに来てくれた。 My mom came to pick me up at the station.
2. 子供の迎えに幼稚園へ行く。 I'm going to the kindergarten to pick up my child.
3. 空港で迎えの人が名前の札を持っていた。 At the airport, the person meeting us was holding a name sign.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, childcare, hospitality

Tone: warm

Origin & History

From the verb 迎える. The kanji 迎 combines 辶 (movement radical) with a phonetic component, meaning to go toward someone to receive them. The い-stem nominalization creates the noun form.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal