Phrase in 30 Seconds
The essential Japanese greeting used to welcome someone back to their home or base.
- Means: 'Welcome home' or 'Welcome back' (literally: 'Please return').
- Used in: Home settings, offices when colleagues return, or at 'homey' businesses.
- Don't confuse: Never use this for guests at a store; use 'Irasshaimase' instead.
आपके स्तर पर व्याख्या:
मतलब
A phrase said to someone who has returned home.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
The 'Tadaima/Okaeri' exchange is considered essential for a 'bright home' (akarui katei). Skipping it is often seen as a sign of family tension. Saying 'Okaerinasai' to a colleague returning from the 'outside' (soto) reinforces the office as an 'inside' (uchi) sanctuary of teamwork. The phrase is the cornerstone of the 'moe' subculture, where customers are treated as the 'master' of the house. Staff use 'Okaerinasaimase' to make guests feel like the inn is their second home, emphasizing deep hospitality (omotenashi).
The Golden Rule
Always wait for the 'Tadaima' before saying 'Okaeri' if you want to be perfectly natural.
Don't be too formal with friends
Using 'Okaerinasai' with a best friend can sound sarcastic or like you're acting like their mother.
The Golden Rule
Always wait for the 'Tadaima' before saying 'Okaeri' if you want to be perfectly natural.
Don't be too formal with friends
Using 'Okaerinasai' with a best friend can sound sarcastic or like you're acting like their mother.
The 'Otsukaresama' Combo
In an office, always follow 'Okaerinasai' with 'Otsukaresama desu' for maximum politeness.
Living Alone
Many Japanese people say 'Tadaima' to an empty house to feel less lonely. It's a healthy psychological habit!
खुद को परखो
Complete the dialogue between two roommates.
Roommate A: 「ただいまー！」 Roommate B: 「_________！」
Since they are roommates (casual), 'Okaeri' is the perfect response to 'Tadaima'.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
Situation: You are a clerk at a clothing store and a customer walks in.
In a shop, you use 'Irasshaimase,' not 'Okaerinasai.'
Fill in the missing part of the formal greeting.
お帰り_________。
The standard polite form is 'Okaerinasai.'
Which of these is the MOST formal?
Select the most formal way to say 'Welcome home'.
Adding 'mase' makes the phrase extremely formal and polite.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Formality Levels of Okaeri
Casual
- • Okaeri
- • Okaerii~
Polite
- • Okaerinasai
Very Formal
- • Okaerinasaimase
अभ्यास बैंक
5 अभ्यासRoommate A: 「ただいまー！」 Roommate B: 「_________！」
Since they are roommates (casual), 'Okaeri' is the perfect response to 'Tadaima'.
Situation: You are a clerk at a clothing store and a customer walks in.
In a shop, you use 'Irasshaimase,' not 'Okaerinasai.'
お帰り_________。
The standard polite form is 'Okaerinasai.'
Select the most formal way to say 'Welcome home'.
Adding 'mase' makes the phrase extremely formal and polite.
🎉 स्कोर: /5
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
14 सवालNo, it's too casual. Use 'Okaerinasai' or 'Okaerinasaimase' if you are in a very formal company.
It's considered quite cold or rude. Even a short 'Okaeri' is better than silence.
Rarely. It's primarily a spoken greeting. In emails, you'd use 'O-modori o-tsukaresama desu.'
Yes! Many people say 'Okaeri' to their dogs or cats when they get home.
'Okaeri' specifically means 'Welcome BACK to where you belong.' 'Welcome' is more general.
It's a polite imperative form, essentially asking the person to 'do the act of returning.'
A small nod or slight bow is common when saying the polite 'Okaerinasai' to an elder or colleague.
No, that's too small a trip! Use it for someone returning from 'outside' (work, school, errands).
No, use 'Okaerinasai' to show proper respect.
If they are a very close friend who visits often, 'Okaeri' is a sign of great intimacy.
No. You don't say 'Okaerinasai deshita.' It's only for the moment they arrive.
You would likely use 'O-kaeri-nasaimase' with a very deep bow.
Usually, you both say 'Tadaima' to the house, or one person says it first and the other responds.
Yes, it's a very common trope to show a character finally finding a place where they belong.
संबंधित मुहावरे
{只今|ただいま}
contrastI'm home / I'm back
{入|い}らっしゃいませ
similarWelcome (to a shop)
ようこそ
similarWelcome (to a place/country)
お{疲|つか}れ{様|さま}です
builds onThank you for your hard work
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
Returning from school
Child: {只今|ただいま}ー！
Parent: {お帰|おかえ}り！{今日|きょう}はどうだった？
Husband returning from work
Husband: {只今|ただいま}{戻|もど}りました。
Wife: {お帰|おかえ}りなさい。お{疲|つか}れ{様|さま}。
Colleague returning from a meeting
Colleague A: {只今|ただいま}{戻|もど}りました。
Colleague B: {お帰|おかえ}りなさい。{会議|かいぎ}、お{疲|つか}れ{様|さま}でした。
Regular at a local bar
Customer: こんばんはー。
Owner: あ、{田中|たなか}さん！{お帰|おかえ}り！
Maid Cafe experience
Maid: {お帰|おかえ}りなさいませ、ご{主人様|しゅじんさま}！
Roommates in an apartment
Roommate A: ただいまー。
Roommate B: おかえり。{冷蔵庫|れいぞうこ}にプリンあるよ。
याद करें
स्मृति सहायक
Think of 'O-KAERI' as 'Oh, Carry' your bags inside! You're home now.
दृश्य संबंध
Imagine a warm, glowing doorway in the dark. As you step through, a friendly person hands you a pair of soft slippers and says 'Okaerinasai.'
Rhyme
Tadaima is what I say, Okaeri is the Japanese way!
Story
You've been hiking in the cold mountains (the 'Soto' world). You finally see your small cabin. You open the door and say 'Tadaima!' Your dog can't talk, but your friend says 'Okaerinasai' while handing you hot cocoa. The 'nasai' part is like the 'nice' feeling of being back.
In Other Languages
In English, we just say 'Welcome home.' In Korean, 'Danyeoosyeosseoyo' is the direct equivalent. Both emphasize the act of returning safely.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Next time you enter your home (even if you live alone), say 'Tadaima!' out loud, and then whisper 'Okaeri' to yourself to feel the ritual.
Review this alongside 'Tadaima' as they are an inseparable pair.
उच्चारण
Short 'o' sound like 'old'.
The 'r' is a light tap, similar to a Spanish 'r' or a fast 'd' in 'ladder'.
Rhymes with 'tie'.
औपचारिकता का स्तर
{お帰|おかえ}りなさいませ (Greeting someone returning)
{お帰|おかえ}りなさい (Greeting someone returning)
{お帰|おかえ}り (Greeting someone returning)
おかえー (Greeting someone returning)
Derived from the verb '{帰|かえ}る' (kaeru - to return). The honorific 'o-' and the imperative '-nasai' were added during the Edo period to create a polite greeting for family members.
रोचक तथ्य
The '-nasai' in 'Okaerinasai' is the same '-nasai' used in 'Gomennasai' (I'm sorry). Both were originally polite commands that became fixed greetings.
सांस्कृतिक नोट्स
The 'Tadaima/Okaeri' exchange is considered essential for a 'bright home' (akarui katei). Skipping it is often seen as a sign of family tension.
“In many anime, a character returning to an empty house still says 'Tadaima' to maintain the ritual.”
Saying 'Okaerinasai' to a colleague returning from the 'outside' (soto) reinforces the office as an 'inside' (uchi) sanctuary of teamwork.
“A junior staff member bowing slightly while saying 'Okaerinasai' to a returning manager.”
The phrase is the cornerstone of the 'moe' subculture, where customers are treated as the 'master' of the house.
“Maids greeting customers with 'Okaerinasaimase, Goshujin-sama!'”
Staff use 'Okaerinasaimase' to make guests feel like the inn is their second home, emphasizing deep hospitality (omotenashi).
“The 'Okami' (proprietress) kneeling at the entrance to welcome returning guests.”
बातचीत की शुरुआत
「ただいま！」と言われたら、何と言いますか？
お父さんが仕事から帰ってきました。挨拶してください。
同僚が外回りから戻ってきました。何と声をかけますか？
सामान्य गलतियाँ
Saying 'Okaerinasai' to a guest visiting your house.
Irasshai / Agatte kudasai
L1 Interference
Saying 'Okaerinasai' when you are the one walking into the house.
Tadaima
L1 Interference
Using 'Okaeri' to your boss.
Okaerinasai / Okaerinasaimase
L1 Interference
Saying 'Okaerinasai' to a clerk in a store.
Konnichiwa / (Silence)
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Welcome home / Welcome back
Japanese requires a specific response to 'Tadaima'.
Bienvenido a casa
Japanese is a mandatory daily ritual; Spanish is more flexible.
Bon retour / Te voilà enfin
French lacks the ritualized 'call and response' aspect.
Willkommen zurück
Japanese is more focused on the 'inside' space boundary.
الحمد لله على السلامة (Hamdullah ala salama)
Arabic includes a religious element of gratitude.
你回来了 (Nǐ huíláile)
Chinese is a statement; Japanese is a polite imperative.
다녀오셨어요 (Danyeoosyeosseoyo)
The grammatical structure differs, but the social function is identical.
Bem-vindo de volta
Less ritualized than the Japanese version.
Spotted in the Real World
“おかえりー！”
Whenever a member returns to the shared house after work or a date.
“ただいま。おかえり。”
The exchange of these words signifies a return to one's true self or home.
“おかえりなさい。”
The Master says this to regular customers as they enter his late-night diner.
“おかえりなさい、シンジ君。”
Misato says this to Shinji when he first moves into her apartment.
“おかえりなさい、明日もまた会えるように。”
The lyrics focus on the warmth of returning to a place where someone waits.
आसानी से भ्रमित होने वाले
Both mean 'Welcome' in English.
Use 'Irasshai' for guests you invited. Use 'Okaeri' for people who live there.
Both involve someone moving through a door.
'Itterasshai' is for someone LEAVING. 'Okaeri' is for someone ARRIVING.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (14)
No, it's too casual. Use 'Okaerinasai' or 'Okaerinasaimase' if you are in a very formal company.
usage contextsIt's considered quite cold or rude. Even a short 'Okaeri' is better than silence.
cultural usageRarely. It's primarily a spoken greeting. In emails, you'd use 'O-modori o-tsukaresama desu.'
practical tipsYes! Many people say 'Okaeri' to their dogs or cats when they get home.
usage contexts'Okaeri' specifically means 'Welcome BACK to where you belong.' 'Welcome' is more general.
comparisonsIt's a polite imperative form, essentially asking the person to 'do the act of returning.'
grammar mechanicsA small nod or slight bow is common when saying the polite 'Okaerinasai' to an elder or colleague.
cultural usageNo, that's too small a trip! Use it for someone returning from 'outside' (work, school, errands).
common mistakesNo, use 'Okaerinasai' to show proper respect.
usage contextsIf they are a very close friend who visits often, 'Okaeri' is a sign of great intimacy.
usage contextsNo. You don't say 'Okaerinasai deshita.' It's only for the moment they arrive.
grammar mechanicsYou would likely use 'O-kaeri-nasaimase' with a very deep bow.
cultural usageUsually, you both say 'Tadaima' to the house, or one person says it first and the other responds.
practical tipsYes, it's a very common trope to show a character finally finding a place where they belong.
cultural usage
