迎える

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 迎える is read as むかえる and is a transitive verb meaning to welcome someone who arrives or go to meet and pick someone up.
• Basic usage: Welcoming a visitor appears in 客を迎える, while going to a station to pick someone up appears in 駅まで迎えに行く.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Welcoming and picking up
  • Context distinguishes receiving someone at the destination from going to that person's location and returning together.
• Difference from 待つ
  • 待つ focuses on waiting for someone to arrive, while 迎える includes receiving that person or actively going to meet them.