どうぞお上がりください
When visiting a Japanese home, you'll often hear 「どうぞお上がりください」 (douzo o-agari kudasai) as you step inside. This phrase literally means "please come up." It's used because guests typically step up into the house from the genkan (entryway).
The host is inviting you to enter the main living space. Remember to take off your shoes in the genkan before stepping up!
This phrase is a polite and common way to welcome someone into a Japanese home, showing respect for the guest and the custom of separating outdoor and indoor spaces.
When visiting a Japanese home, you'll often hear the phrase どうぞお上がりください (Dōzo o-agari kudasai). This literally means 'Please come up' or 'Please enter.'
It's used when inviting guests to step up from the entryway (genkan) into the main living area of the house, which is typically elevated. You'll usually remove your shoes in the genkan before stepping up. This phrase is a polite and common way to welcome someone into a Japanese home, indicating it's okay to proceed inside after taking off your shoes.
どうぞお上がりください in 30 Seconds
- Use when inviting someone into your home.
- It implies stepping up into the house, as many traditional Japanese homes have an elevated entrance.
- It's a polite and common greeting.
§ Understanding どうぞお上がりください
The phrase どうぞお上がりください (dōzo o-agari kudasai) is an essential greeting when entering a Japanese home. It literally means "please come up/enter." This phrase is used when inviting someone inside, especially when there's a step up from the genkan (entranceway) into the main living area. It's a polite and common expression you'll hear frequently in Japan.
- Word/Phrase
- どうぞお上がりください (dōzo o-agari kudasai)
- Meaning
- Please come in (to a Japanese house).
- CEFR Level
- A2
§ When to use it
You use どうぞお上がりください when you are inviting a guest from the genkan into the main part of your house. It implies the guest should take off their shoes in the genkan and then step up into the house. It's a very common phrase to hear when you visit someone's home in Japan.
「いらっしゃいませ。どうぞ、どうぞお上がりください。」
Translation hint: "Welcome. Please, please come in."
§ Breaking down the phrase
- どうぞ (dōzo): This means "please" or "by all means." It adds politeness and encourages the action.
- お上がり (o-agari): This is the honorific prefix お (o-) + 上がり (agari), the stem of the verb 上がる (agaru), which means "to go up" or "to enter." The honorific prefix makes it politer.
- ください (kudasai): This means "please give me" or "please do." In this context, it's a polite request.
§ Common responses
When someone says どうぞお上がりください to you, a polite response is:
「お邪魔します。」
Translation hint: "Excuse me for disturbing (entering)."
This phrase, お邪魔します (o-jama shimasu), literally means "I will be a nuisance" or "I will intrude." It's a set phrase used when entering someone's home to show humility and appreciation for their hospitality.
§ Practical tips
- Always remove your shoes in the genkan before stepping up into the main living area. This is a fundamental part of Japanese etiquette.
- If you're not sure where to put your shoes, politely ask, "靴はどこに置けばいいですか？" (Kutsu wa doko ni okeba ii desu ka? - Where should I put my shoes?).
- Practice saying どうぞお上がりください with the correct intonation. The "dōzo" should be friendly and welcoming.
「雨で濡れていますね。タオルがあります。どうぞお上がりください。」
Translation hint: "You're wet from the rain, aren't you? There's a towel. Please come in."
「寒いですから、早くどうぞお上がりください。」
Translation hint: "It's cold, so please come in quickly."
Pronunciation Guide
- Mispronouncing the 'ō' as a short 'o'
- Not stressing the correct syllables
Examples by Level
どうぞお上がりください。
Please, come in.
A: こんにちは。B: どうぞお上がりください。
A: Hello. B: Please, come in.
靴を脱いで、どうぞお上がりください。
Take off your shoes and please, come in.
寒いですから、どうぞお上がりください。
It's cold, so please, come in.
雨が降っています。どうぞお上がりください。
It's raining. Please, come in.
どうぞ、こちらへ。お上がりください。
Please, this way. Come in.
荷物が多いですね。どうぞお上がりください。
You have a lot of luggage. Please, come in.
お茶をどうぞ。まずはお上がりください。
Please have some tea. First, please come in.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
When visiting someone's home, you'll often hear this phrase as a welcoming gesture after they open the door.
- お邪魔します (Ojama shimasu) - Excuse me for intruding (polite greeting when entering someone's home)
- ありがとうございます (Arigatou gozaimasu) - Thank you very much
- 失礼します (Shitsurei shimasu) - Excuse me (when entering a room or someone's personal space)
If you're invited to a traditional Japanese house or a ryokan, this phrase will be used to invite you into the genkan (entryway) and further into the house.
- お履物を脱いでください (Omekmono wo nuide kudasai) - Please take off your shoes
- こちらへどうぞ (Kochira e douzo) - Please come this way
- 上がってください (Agatte kudasai) - Please come up/in
At a friend's house, they might say this in a slightly more casual tone, but the meaning remains the same.
- どうぞ (Douzo) - Please (can be used on its own for 'please come in')
- 上がって (Agatte) - Come in (casual form of '上がってください')
- ゆっくりしてね (Yukkuri shite ne) - Make yourself at home
In a more formal setting, like a tea ceremony, this phrase would be used with utmost politeness to invite guests into the tea room.
- お入りください (Oiri kudasai) - Please come in (formal)
- お席へどうぞ (Oseki e douzo) - Please take your seat
- どうぞお楽に (Douzo oraku ni) - Please make yourself comfortable
When a Japanese person invites you into their house for the first time, this phrase is a standard and expected way to welcome you.
- 初めてお邪魔します (Hajimete ojama shimasu) - This is my first time visiting (polite)
- よろしくお願いいたします (Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) - Thank you in advance (formal polite greeting)
- お邪魔いたしました (Ojama itashimashita) - Thank you for having me (when leaving)
Conversation Starters
"You're at the door of your Japanese friend's house. What do you expect them to say when they open the door?"
"Someone says 'どうぞお上がりください' to you. What is the appropriate response and action?"
"What's the difference between 'どうぞお上がりください' and just 'どうぞ' when inviting someone in?"
"Imagine you're hosting a guest in your Japanese home. How would you welcome them using this phrase?"
"What cultural nuances are important to remember when someone says 'どうぞお上がりください'?"
Journal Prompts
Describe a time you were invited into a Japanese home (or imagined doing so) and how you would react to 'どうぞお上がりください'.
Reflect on the politeness levels in Japanese invitations. How does 'どうぞお上がりください' compare to other ways of saying 'please come in'?
Write about the importance of the 'genkan' (entryway) in Japanese homes and how 'どうぞお上がりください' relates to it.
If you were to teach this phrase to a new learner, what cultural context would you emphasize?
Consider how this phrase contributes to the overall hospitality and welcoming atmosphere in a Japanese household.
Test Yourself 24 questions
The speaker is entering a home.
The speaker is guiding someone inside and indicating where to find slippers.
A host is welcoming a guest and offering tea.
Read this aloud:
どうぞお上がりください。中でお待ちしております。
Focus: どうぞお上がりください
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
遅くなってすみません。どうぞお上がりください。
Focus: どうぞお上がりください
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
お忙しいところ恐縮ですが、どうぞお上がりください。少しお話したいことがあります。
Focus: どうぞお上がりください
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Which of the following situations would most appropriately warrant the use of「どうぞお上がりください」?
「どうぞお上がりください」is specifically used when inviting someone to enter a Japanese home, often implying stepping up from an entranceway (genkan) into the main living area.
You are visiting a Japanese friend's house for the first time. As you stand at the entrance, your friend says「どうぞお上がりください」. What should you do?
「どうぞお上がりください」is an invitation to enter a Japanese home, which customarily involves removing one's shoes at the genkan before stepping up into the main living area.
Which phrase is a common, polite response when someone says「どうぞお上がりください」?
「お邪魔します」is the standard polite phrase to say when entering someone's home, expressing a sense of 'excuse me for intruding' or 'thank you for having me'.
「どうぞお上がりください」can be used when inviting someone to enter any building, such as an office or a school.
This phrase is specifically reserved for inviting someone into a Japanese home, often referring to the act of stepping up from the genkan.
The 'どうぞ' in「どうぞお上がりください」adds an element of politeness and encouragement.
「どうぞ」is an emphatic and polite way to say 'please' or 'go ahead', making the invitation more gracious.
If a host says「どうぞお上がりください」, it is generally expected that you will keep your shoes on when entering their house.
It is customary to remove your shoes at the entrance (genkan) when entering a Japanese home, especially after being invited with 「どうぞお上がりください」.
A host welcoming a guest.
A shopkeeper inviting a customer inside on a rainy day.
Someone inviting you into a waiting room or office.
Read this aloud:
どうぞお上がりください。
Focus: doozo oagari kudasai
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
本日は、どうぞお上がりください。
Focus: honjitsu wa, doozo oagari kudasai
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
もしよろしければ、どうぞお上がりください。
Focus: moshi yoroshikereba, doozo oagari kudasai
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This is the standard polite phrase for inviting someone into a Japanese home.
The order 'どうぞお上がりください' is the correct and natural way to say 'Please come in'.
To politely invite someone inside, the phrase follows the structure: 'どうぞ' (please) + 'お上がり' (enter/go up) + 'ください' (request).
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
どうぞお上がりください is a polite way to welcome someone into a Japanese home, often used at the genkan (entrance).
- Use when inviting someone into your home.
- It implies stepping up into the house, as many traditional Japanese homes have an elevated entrance.
- It's a polite and common greeting.
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