Ittekimasu & Itterasshai / Tadaima & Okaeri Meaning in Japanese Alternative

Hello, I’m Kodak.

Japanese homes often use two pairs of greetings:

English translations such as “I’m leaving,” “Take care,” “I’m home,” and “Welcome home” are useful, but they do not show the full Japanese image.

These four expressions create a small story:

Quick Meaning: Who Says Each Phrase?

What Does 行ってきます (Ittekimasu) Mean?

行いってきます is said by the person who is leaving a home or another shared base and expects to return.

学校に行ってきます。
Gakkō ni itte kimasu.
I’m off to school.

ちょっとコンビニに行ってきます。
Chotto konbini ni itte kimasu.
I’m just going to the convenience store. I’ll be back.

じゃあ、行ってきます！
Jā, ittekimasu!
Okay, I’m off!

The Literal Grammar of 行ってきます

This is why 行ってきます is more than “I am going.” It contains an implied return to the speaker’s current shared place.

行ってきます vs 行きます

明日、大阪に行きます。
Ashita, Ōsaka ni ikimasu.
I will go to Osaka tomorrow.

郵便局に行ってきます。
Yūbinkyoku ni itte kimasu.
I’m going to the post office and will be back.

行きます does not necessarily say anything about returning. 行ってきます presents the trip as temporary and connected to the place the speaker is leaving.

What Does 行ってらっしゃい (Itterasshai) Mean?

行いってらっしゃい is the reply said by the person who remains behind.

行ってきます。
Ittekimasu.
I’m off.

行ってらっしゃい。気をつけてね。
Itterasshai. Ki o tsukete ne.
Take care. Be safe.

Where Does 行ってらっしゃい Come From?

行ってらっしゃい is a shortened form of 行っていらっしゃい.

In this fixed greeting, translating each component mechanically is less useful than understanding its social role: the speaker sends the other person out with care and expects their return.

行ってらっしゃい vs 気をつけて

The two expressions are often combined:

行ってらっしゃい。気をつけてね。
Itterasshai. Ki o tsukete ne.
Have a good day. Take care.

What Does ただいま (Tadaima) Mean?

ただいま is said by the person who has returned to a home or shared place.

ただいま！
Tadaima!
I’m home!

ただいま。遅くなってごめん。
Tadaima. Osoku natte gomen.
I’m home. Sorry I’m late.

ただいま戻りました。
Tadaima modorimashita.
I have just returned.

Why Does ただいま Mean “I’m Home”?

The greeting is understood as a shortened form of ただいま帰りました.

The Other Meanings of ただいま

In the return greeting, ただいま is normally written in hiragana. The kanji spelling 只今 is common in formal signs and time expressions but less necessary for the warm household greeting.

What Does おかえり (Okaeri) Mean?

おかえり is the casual reply to someone who has returned. The fuller polite form is お帰りなさい (okaerinasai).

ただいま！
Tadaima!
I’m home!

おかえり！
Okaeri!
Welcome home!

お帰りなさい。今日は早かったですね。
Okaerinasai. Kyō wa hayakatta desu ne.
Welcome back. You’re early today.

The Grammar of お帰りなさい

As with 行ってらっしゃい, a literal grammatical analysis can sound more commanding than the actual fixed greeting. In normal use, お帰りなさい warmly recognizes the person’s return.

The Complete Four-Phrase Cycle

Pronunciation and Writing

行ってきます (Ittekimasu)

The small っ creates a brief pause before て. Do not pronounce it as ite-kimasu.

行ってらっしゃい (Itterasshai)

There are two small-っ pauses. The しゃい portion should not become the English word “shy.”

ただいま (Tadaima)

Pronounce だい as two morae, da-i, rather than compressing it into one English-style syllable.

おかえり / お帰りなさい (Okaeri / Okaerinasai)

The vowel sequence かえ (ka-e) contains separate morae. Do not pronounce okaeri as if it rhymed with the English word “airy.”

Casual and Polite Forms

行ってまいります

参ります is a humble form connected to 行く and 来る. 行ってまいります is more formal than 行ってきます.

それでは、取引先へ行ってまいります。
Sore dewa, torihikisaki e itte mairimasu.
Well then, I’m off to visit the client.

ただいま戻りました

In a workplace, simply calling out ただいま！ may be too home-like depending on the office culture. ただいま戻りました clearly and politely reports your return.

ただいま戻りました。
Tadaima modorimashita.
I have returned.

Are These Expressions Only Used at Home?

No. Home is the clearest and most common setting, but the underlying idea is a shared base.

At Work

An employee temporarily leaving the office may say:

銀行へ行ってきます。
Ginkō e itte kimasu.
I’m going to the bank and will be back.

A coworker may reply:

行ってらっしゃい。
Itterasshai.
See you / Take care.

On returning:

ただいま戻りました。
Tadaima modorimashita.
I’m back.

お帰りなさい。
Okaerinasai.
Welcome back.

At a Club, Team, or Shared Residence

People who share a regular base—such as a dormitory, clubroom, team facility, or host family’s home—may use the same exchanges naturally.

Online Communities and Livestreams

In informal online communities, viewers sometimes use:

This playful extension treats the online community like a shared place.

When Should You Not Say 行ってきます?

Use 行ってきます when the current location functions as a base and your departure is temporary.

In those situations, use an expression that fits the relationship, such as ありがとうございます, ごちそうさまでした, 失礼します, またね, or さようなら.

Can You Say ただいま When Nobody Is Home?

Yes. Some people say it from habit even if nobody answers, while others do not. The greeting normally expects someone or something that represents “home,” but its use is personal.

In fiction, a character may say ただいま to an empty house, a photograph, a pet, or a place they have returned to after many years. In those cases, the phrase can carry strong emotional meaning.

十年ぶりだね。ただいま。
Jūnen-buri da ne. Tadaima.
It’s been ten years. I’m home.

Can You Say おかえり to Someone Who Did Not Say ただいま?

Yes. The expressions commonly form a pair, but one does not grammatically require the other.

あ、おかえり。今日は遅かったね。
A, okaeri. Kyō wa osokatta ne.
Oh, welcome back. You were late today.

You can greet the person as soon as you notice their return, even if they entered quietly.

行ってきます / 行ってらっしゃい vs Goodbye Expressions

These phrases are not general replacements for every “goodbye.” They specifically frame a temporary departure and expected return.

For related expressions, see:

• Ja Ne Meaning & Mata Ne Meaning in Japanese
• Sayonara Meaning: Why Japanese Don’t Usually Say さようなら

ただいま / おかえり vs “Hello”

ただいま and おかえり acknowledge a return, not simply a meeting.

Saying こんにちは to a family member who has just returned home may sound strangely detached because it ignores the departure-and-return relationship.

How These Expressions Are Used in Anime and Manga

These greetings often carry emotional meaning in stories because they represent belonging and the expectation of return.

Natural Example Dialogues

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Translating 行ってきます as Only “I Will Go”

The phrase contains the idea of returning. Use 行きます when you only need to state that you will go somewhere.

Mistake 2: Saying 行ってきます When Leaving Any Place

It is not a universal goodbye. The current location should normally be a shared base to which you expect to return.

Mistake 3: Replying to 行ってきます with おかえり

Mistake 4: Believing ただいま Always Means “I’m Home”

It can also mean “now,” “just now,” or “immediately.” Check the situation and surrounding grammar.

Mistake 5: Using おかえり for a First-Time Visitor

おかえり welcomes someone who has returned. Use いらっしゃい or ようこそ for a visitor arriving for the first time.

Mistake 6: Using Casual Forms with Everyone

おかえり is casual. Use お帰りなさい when more politeness is appropriate. At work, ただいま戻りました may fit better than the household-style ただいま.

FAQ About Ittekimasu, Itterasshai, Tadaima, and Okaeri

What does ittekimasu mean?

行ってきます means “I’m off” or “I’m going out and will come back.” It is said by the person leaving a home or shared base.

What is the literal meaning of ittekimasu?

It combines 行って, “go and,” with 来ます, “come.” The literal movement is “I will go and come back.”

What should I reply to ittekimasu?

The standard reply is 行ってらっしゃい. You can add 気をつけてね, meaning “Take care.”

What does itterasshai mean?

行ってらっしゃい is a send-off meaning “Take care,” “Have a good day,” or “Go safely and come back.”

Is itterasshai formal?

It is polite enough for many ordinary relationships. 行ってらっしゃいませ is a more formal form, though it is less common in everyday household conversation.

What does tadaima mean?

As a return greeting, ただいま means “I’m home” or “I’m back.” In other contexts it can mean “now,” “just now,” or “immediately.”

Why does tadaima mean “I’m home”?

It is understood as a shortened form of ただいま帰りました, meaning “I have just returned.”

What should I reply to tadaima?

Reply with おかえり casually or お帰りなさい more politely.

What does okaeri mean?

おかえり means “Welcome home” or “Welcome back.” It recognizes that someone has returned to a familiar shared place.

What is the difference between okaeri and okaerinasai?

おかえり is casual and warm. お帰りなさい is the fuller and more polite form.

Can I say okaeri to a friend?

Yes, when the friend is returning to a place that functions as a shared base, such as your home, a clubroom, a shared trip location, or sometimes an online community.

Can I say tadaima at work?

Depending on the workplace, yes, but ただいま戻りました is clearer and more professional.

Are these phrases only used by families?

No. They can also be used among housemates, at some workplaces, in clubs, in dormitories, with host families, and playfully in online communities.

Can I say ittekimasu if I will not return?

Normally, the phrase implies a return to the current base. For a permanent or long final departure, choose a different farewell suited to the situation.

What is the difference between ittekimasu and sayonara?

行ってきます frames the departure as temporary and includes an expected return. さようなら is a general farewell and does not itself promise a return.

Why are tadaima and okaeri emotional in anime?

They represent more than arrival. They can show that a person has a place, family, or community to return to and is accepted there.

Summary: The Meaning of the Four Japanese Home Greetings

References

• Kotobank: 行って来ます — definition as a greeting used when going out and the more polite 行って参ります.
• Kotobank: 行ってらっしゃい — definition and derivation from 行っていらっしゃい.
• Kotobank: 只今 — meanings including “now,” “immediately,” and the return greeting shortened from ただいま帰りました.
• Kotobank: お帰りなさい — greeting addressed to a person returning from outside.
• The Japan Foundation: Basic communicative expressions — lists the paired exchanges いってきます / いってらっしゃい and ただいま / おかえり.
• The Japan Foundation: 私の好きな日本語 — a learner’s reflection on the warmth and sense of family conveyed by ただいま and おかえり.