外出する

The Japanese verb 外出する (gaishutsu suru) is a fundamental Sino-Japanese (Kango) term that translates to 'to go out' or 'to leave the house/office.' While English speakers might use 'go out' for everything from taking out the trash to heading to a nightclub, 外出する carries a slightly more formal or objective nuance compared to its native Japanese counterpart, dekakeru. It specifically focuses on the act of exiting a building or a base of operations to go elsewhere for a period of time. In a professional context, if you are leaving your desk to meet a client or even just to grab lunch, your colleagues might say you are gaishutsu-chu (currently out). It is less about the 'fun' of going out and more about the physical transition from being inside to being outside for a specific purpose.

Formal Usage

In business settings, this is the standard term used to describe an employee's absence from the office. For example, 'Tanaka is currently out' is 'Tanaka-san wa tadaima gaishutsu shite orimasu.'

Understanding the kanji is key to mastering this word. The first character, 外 (gai), means 'outside' or 'external.' You see it in words like gaikoku (foreign country). The second character, 出 (shutsu), means 'to exit' or 'to go out.' Combined with the helper verb suru, it literally means 'to perform an outside-exit.' This structural clarity makes it a very versatile word in both written and spoken Japanese. You will see it on signage in hospitals, hotels, and offices, often in the form of gaishutsu-todoke (a notice of leaving the premises). Unlike 'dekakeru,' which sounds more like you are heading out for enjoyment or a casual errand, 外出する is the word of choice for news reports, medical advice (e.g., 'refrain from going out during a heatwave'), and formal announcements.

Medical Context

Doctors often use this verb when telling patients whether they are allowed to leave their hospital room. 'Gaishutsu kyoka' means permission to go out.

Furthermore, the word is often used in the context of safety and public health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase gaishutsu jishuku (self-restraint from going out) was heard daily on Japanese television. This highlights the word's role in describing public behavior and societal trends. While dekakeru is warm and personal, 外出する is clinical and descriptive. It covers the broad spectrum of being 'not here' because you are 'out there.' It is also important to note that it is a 'suru' verb, meaning its conjugation follows the standard patterns for irregular verbs in Japanese, making it relatively easy to adapt into different tenses once you know the base.

Daily Life

Even in casual conversation, if you are talking about the general concept of leaving the house, such as 'I don't go out much lately,' you might say 'Saikin wa amari gaishutsu shimasen.'

Using 外出する correctly requires an understanding of how it fits into the broader Japanese sentence structure. As a suru-verb, it is highly flexible. The most common particle associated with it is o (を) when you are nominalizing the action, or ni (に) if you are expressing a purpose for going out, though purpose is more frequently expressed with dekakeru. Often, the verb stands alone to describe a state. For example, 'He is out' is 'Kare wa gaishutsu-chu desu.' Here, chu is a suffix meaning 'in the middle of,' turning the noun gaishutsu into a state of being.

Polite Form

Use 'gaishutsu shimasu' for the future or habitual present. Use 'gaishutsu shimashita' for the past. This is appropriate for colleagues and strangers.

When you want to say you are going out 'to' do something, the grammar gets a bit more complex. Typically, you would use the stem of another verb followed by ni and then gaishutsu suru, but it is much more natural to say 'Kaimono ni dekakeru' than 'Kaimono ni gaishutsu suru.' Therefore, 外出する is best used when the focus is on the absence from the home or office itself. If you are a parent telling a child not to go out at night, you would say 'Yoru wa gaishutsu shite wa ikemasen.' This sounds authoritative and clear. In written reports, you might see 'Gaishutsu no sai wa kagi o kakete kudasai' (Please lock the door when going out), where sai means 'on the occasion of.'

Negative Form

'Gaishutsu shinai' (casual) or 'gaishutsu shimasen' (polite). Used often when talking about staying home due to illness or weather.

Another important grammatical point is the use of the particle kara (from). While you might think 'go out from the house' requires uchi kara, Japanese more often uses uchi o gaishutsu suru or simply leaves the location implied because 外出する inherently implies leaving your current base. If you are in a hospital, the base is your room. If you are at work, the base is your office. In more advanced Japanese, you will see the potential form gaishutsu dekiru (can go out), which is often used in medical recovery contexts. 'Yoyaku gaishutsu dekiru you ni narimashita' (I have finally become able to go out).

Te-form for Requests

'Gaishutsu shite kudasai' (Please go out) is rare. More common is 'Gaishutsu shite mo ii desu ka?' (May I go out?).

You will encounter 外出する in a wide variety of settings, ranging from the very formal to the everyday. One of the most common places is the Japanese workplace. If you call a company and the person you want to speak with is not at their desk because they are out on an errand or meeting, the receptionist will almost certainly use this word. It sounds professional and avoids giving too much personal detail about where the person went. It simply states the fact of their absence. You will also hear it frequently in public announcements. For instance, at a train station during a storm, an announcement might advise passengers to 'refrain from non-essential and non-urgent outings' (fuyou-fukyuu no gaishutsu o hikaeru).

News and Media

Weather reporters use this word constantly. When a typhoon is approaching, they will warn: 'Kiken desu kara, gaishutsu wa yamete kudasai' (It is dangerous, so please stop going out).

In a domestic setting, you might hear a mother talking to a child or a person talking about their elderly parents. It is often used when discussing the ability or permission to leave the house. For example, 'Grandpa hasn't been going out lately' would be 'Ojiisan wa saikin gaishutsu shite imasen.' This usage is slightly more formal than saying 'asobi ni ikanai,' which would imply he isn't going out to play. Using 外出する implies a general lack of leaving the home for any reason. You will also see this word in literature and news articles discussing social issues, such as hikikomori (social recluses) who do not 外出する for long periods.

Hospital Settings

Patients must often fill out a 'gaishutsu-todoke' (outing form) to leave the hospital grounds for a few hours. Nurses will ask, 'Gaishutsu desu ka?' (Are you going out?).

Finally, you will hear it in the context of crime and safety reports. Police might ask witnesses if they saw anyone 外出する around a certain time. In detective novels or dramas, the 'gaishutsu jikan' (the time someone left) is often a crucial piece of evidence. This reinforces the word's nature as an objective descriptor of movement. While it might feel 'stiff' to a beginner, using 外出する appropriately will make your Japanese sound much more grounded and sophisticated, especially in adult environments where 'dekakeru' might sound a bit too casual or vague.

Travel & Hotels

At a traditional Ryokan, the staff might ask about your 'gaishutsu' plans to know when to prepare your dinner.

One of the most frequent mistakes English speakers make is using 外出する when they really mean asobi ni iku (to go out to have fun). In English, 'I'm going out tonight' usually implies social plans, drinking, or a date. In Japanese, if you say 'Konban gaishutsu shimasu,' it sounds like you have a formal errand or are simply stating you won't be home. It lacks the social connotation. Another common error is confusing it with deru (to exit). While deru is a simple physical action of moving from inside to outside a room, 外出する specifically implies leaving one's 'base' (home/office) for a period of time.

Mistaken Particle Use

Avoid saying 'Gaishutsu ni iku.' Since 'gaishutsu' already contains the 'suru' verb, 'gaishutsu suru' is the correct form. Adding 'ni iku' is redundant and grammatically awkward.

Another nuance that learners miss is the level of formality. Using 外出する with your close friends might make you sound a bit like a robot or a news anchor. For casual situations, dekakeru or soto ni iku is much more natural. Conversely, using dekakeru in a formal business report might sound too casual. It is also important not to confuse 外出する with shutchou suru (to go on a business trip). 外出する is for short-term absences, usually returning on the same day, while shutchou implies a longer trip, often involving an overnight stay or travel to another city.

The 'Suru' Omission

In casual speech, people sometimes drop the 'suru' and just say 'Gaishutsu?' as a question, but this is only for very specific contexts like a nurse asking a patient.

Learners also sometimes struggle with the difference between 外出する and tachi-yoru (to drop by). If you are going out with the specific intent of visiting multiple places, you wouldn't use 外出する for each stop. You 'gaishutsu' once from your house, and then 'tachi-yoru' at the bank and the grocery store. Finally, be careful with the kanji. The 'shutsu' (出) is often confused with 'yama' (山 - mountain) by beginners because of the stacked appearance, but 'shutsu' has a central vertical line that connects the two parts. Always look for that 'exit' meaning to identify this word in the wild.

Confusion with 'Going Home'

Never use 'gaishutsu' to mean you are leaving work to go home. That is 'kaeru' or 'taishutsu.' 'Gaishutsu' implies you intend to return to that base later, or you are just describing the act of being away.

To truly master 外出する, you need to know its 'siblings' and when to choose one over the other. The most common alternative is 出かける (dekakeru). While 外出する is objective and formal, dekakeru is subjective and warmer. If you are going on a date, use dekakeru. If you are writing a policy for a dormitory, use 外出する. Another similar word is 出門する (shummon suru), which is extremely formal and literally means 'to go out the gate,' used in military or very strict institutional contexts. Then there is 離席する (riseki suru), which means to 'leave one's seat,' a more specific term used in offices when you are still in the building but not at your desk.

Gaishutsu vs. Dekakeru

Gaishutsu (外出): Formal, focus on the state of being away from base. Dekakeru (出かける): Casual, focus on the start of the journey or the intent to go somewhere.

Gaishutsu vs. Taishutsu

Gaishutsu (外出): Going out and coming back. Taishutsu (退出): Leaving a room or a meeting with the implication of finishing there.

For more specific types of 'going out,' Japanese has a wealth of vocabulary. If you are going out for a walk, you use sanpo suru. If you are going out on a trip, ryokou suru. If you are going out to eat, gaishoku suru. Notice how gaishoku (外食) uses the same 'gai' (outside) kanji but pairs it with 'shoku' (eat). This is a common pattern: 'gai-' words often describe activities done outside the home. Another interesting one is roshutsu suru (露出する), which uses the 'shutsu' kanji but means 'to expose' or 'to be out in the open'—completely different meaning, but shows how these kanji build the language.

Antonyms

The opposite of 'gaishutsu' is 'kitaku' (帰宅 - returning home) or 'zaitaku' (在宅 - being at home). You might see 'zaitaku waaku' for 'working from home.'

In summary, while 外出する is your 'workhorse' verb for the general concept of leaving the house or office, always consider the context. If it is personal and casual, dekakeru is your friend. If it is about eating, gaishoku. If it is about returning, kitaku. By learning these distinctions, you move from being someone who just 'knows words' to someone who 'speaks Japanese' with the correct social and situational awareness.