待ち合わせ（まちあわせ、machiawase）
- rendezvous

The Japanese word 待ち合わせ (machiawase) means "meeting up," "rendezvous," or "to meet someone." It refers to the act of arranging to meet someone at a specific time and place. It implies prior planning and agreement between individuals. The core concept is the anticipation of coming together. It's often used for casual meetings, appointments, or dates. The word conveys the idea of a prearranged meeting, emphasizing the shared expectation of arrival and contact.

⚫︎駅で待ち合わせをしましょう。 Translation: Let's meet at the station. ⚫︎待ち合わせの時間に遅れないでください。 Translation: Please don't be late for the meeting time. ⚫︎友達と映画館で待ち合わせました。 Translation: I met up with my friend at the movie theater.

⚫︎Use 待ち合わせ when you are talking about setting up or referring to a pre-arranged meeting. ⚫︎It's suitable for various contexts, from casual meetups with friends to more formal business appointments. ⚫︎It's typically followed by information about the location and time. ⚫︎You can use the verb form, for example, 待ち合わせる (machiawaseru), "to arrange to meet," or the noun form [待ち合わせ] (machiawase) to refer to the meeting itself. For example, [待ち合わせ]の場所 (machiawase no basho) means "meeting place."

⚫︎The word is typically written in hiragana as まちあわせ. ⚫︎The kanji form is 待ち合わせ, which combines the kanji for "wait" (待) and "match/合わせ" (合わせ). ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) is consistent. ⚫︎The verb form is 待ち合わせる (machiawaseru).

⚫︎待ち合わせる (machiawaseru) - to arrange to meet ⚫︎会う (au) - to meet (general, casual) ⚫︎集合 (shūgō) - meeting, gathering (more formal) ⚫︎落ち合う (ochiau) - to meet (can imply more of a chance encounter or joining)

⚫︎There isn't a direct antonym. You could consider words or phrases related to missing a meeting or not meeting. ⚫︎別れる (wakareru) - to part, to separate ⚫︎すれ違う (surechigau) - to pass each other

明日の午後2時に、公園で待ち合わせしましょう。 ・Translation: Let's meet at the park tomorrow at 2 PM. ・Explanation: This sentence clearly states the time and location for a pre-arranged meeting, using the noun form of 待ち合わせ.

私は彼とカフェの前で待ち合わせました。 ・Translation: I met him in front of the cafe. ・Explanation: This example uses the past tense of 待ち合わせる(machiawase) to describe a past meeting.

⚫︎待ち合わせ is derived from the verb 待つ (matsu), meaning "to wait," and the verb 合わせる (awaseru), meaning "to combine, to put together, to match." ⚫︎The word essentially encapsulates the act of "waiting and combining" or coming together at a predetermined time and place.