おかえりなさい
okaerinasai
Welcome home
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.
Explanation at your level:
意思
A phrase said to someone who has returned home.
文化背景
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.
意思
A phrase said to someone who has returned home.
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!
自我测试
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.
🎉 得分： /4
视觉学习工具
Formality Levels of Okaeri
Casual
- • Okaeri
- • Okaerii~
Polite
- • Okaerinasai
Very Formal
- • Okaerinasaimase
常见问题
14 个问题No, 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.
相关表达
{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
在哪里用
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。
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'O-KAERI' as 'Oh, Carry' your bags inside! You're home now.
Visual Association
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.
Word Web
挑战
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.
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.
Easily Confused
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.
常见问题 (14)
No, 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.
