来きたる

き

た

る

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

pre-noun adjectival

next; forthcoming; coming

Pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) used with time expressions to mean 'the coming ...' or 'next ...', often in formal or written contexts. Antonym: 去る (さる) meaning 'last' or 'past'.

Antonyms: 去る

来きたる日にち曜よう日びに会かい議ぎがあります。
There is a meeting on the coming Sunday.

来きたるべき未み来らいに備そなえる。

Prepare for the future to come.

2

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

to come; to arrive; to be due to

Intransitive godan verb. Original meaning of 来る (きたる), now mostly replaced by 来る (くる) in modern Japanese. Still used in formal, literary, or set expressions. Often implies something arriving as expected or due.

春はるが来きたる。
Spring comes.
機き会かいが来きたるのを待まつ。
Wait for the opportunity to arrive.

Written forms

来きたるUsage15%
Standard spelling for the pre-noun adjectival and verb senses; the okurigana distinguishes it from the common verb 来る (くる).
来きたるUsage71%
Attested spelling, but easily confused with 来る (くる). Use 来たる to avoid ambiguity.
きたるUsage15%
Kana spelling is sometimes used in informal writing or when the kanji reading is ambiguous.

Kanji

来come, due, next

Similar words

来くる
The common modern verb 'to come'. 来たる is its older, more formal counterpart, now mostly used in fixed expressions or as a pre-noun adjectival.
去さる
Antonym of 来たる in its pre-noun adjectival use: 去る means 'last' or 'past' (e.g., 去る日曜日 'last Sunday').

Etymology

The classical verb 来 (く) + 至る (いたる) contracted to きたる. Historically the standard verb for 'to come', now largely replaced by 来る (くる) except in formal or literary contexts.