Japanese course

Lesson 9 of 240

New here? This is lesson 9 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.

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I'm off, I'm home in Japanese

Leo treats Kissa Hotaru like home. He stands at the door, says he is off, and waits for the line you say to someone leaving.

Masako answers from the counter. Goro never stands up, then says he is home anyway.

By the end, you'll leave, come back, and answer both.

You'll also say a short I'll head out first.

These are set pieces. Learn each as one piece and reply with the matching line.

By the end of this lesson

Use the set phrases for leaving and coming back, and answer them.

  • いってきます。I'm off.
  • いってらっしゃい。See you, take care.
  • ただいま。I'm home.
  • お帰(かえ)りなさい。Welcome back.
  • お先(さき)に。I'll head out first.
  • 今(いま)出(で)ます。I'm heading out now.

Scene — the kissa door

Late morning at Kissa Hotaru. Leo stands at the door with his bag, as if this were home.

Masako watches from the counter. Goro still fills two seats in the corner booth, with a blend coffee he has not touched.

Leo stands beside the booth with his bag while Masako watches from the counter and Goro occupies two seats beside his untouched coffee.

Learn — leaving and coming back

Six set phrases cover leaving, coming back, and the answers you give.

You'll also get a short line for leaving first, and one for walking out now.

  1. Leo gives Masako a brief leaving-first bow beside the booth as Goro remains seated nearby.

    いってきます。

    I'm off.

    When to use it: Say this when you leave home, to the people staying.

    Learn it as one piece for leaving.

    Say it: The small っ is a tight stop before て.

  2. Masako lifts a small farewell wave from the counter toward the doorway.

    いってらっしゃい。

    See you, take care.

    When to use it: Say this to someone leaving, if you are staying.

    Learn it as one piece to send them off.

  3. Leo steps back into Kissa Hotaru through the open door with his bag.

    ただいま。

    I'm home.

    When to use it: Say this when you walk back in the door.

    Learn it as one piece for coming home.

  4. Masako welcomes Leo from the counter as he stands just inside the doorway.

    お帰(かえ)りなさい。

    Welcome back.

    When to use it: Say this when someone comes back through the door.

    Learn it as one piece to welcome them home.

  5. Goro sits across two booth seats beside his untouched coffee while Masako gives him a gentle wait gesture from the counter.

    お先(さき)に。

    I'll head out first.

    When to use it: Say this when you leave before the others.

    Learn it as one piece, a short leave-first line.

  6. Leo takes his bag from the seat near the doorway, ready to head out again.

    今(いま)出(で)ます。

    I'm heading out now.

    When to use it: Say this when you are walking out the door now.

    Learn it as one piece to say you are leaving.

Story — as if it were home

Watch Leo treat the kissa door like home. Masako sends him off. Goro never stands, then says he is home.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Rain has stopped. Leo stands at the booth with his bag.
  2. Leoお先(さき)に。I'll head out first.
  3. Masakoどうぞ。Go ahead.
  4. At the door, Leo treats the kissa like home.
  5. Leoいってきます。I'm off.
  6. Masakoいってらっしゃい。See you, take care.
  7. Goro stays in the booth. His blend coffee is still full.
  8. Goroただいま。I'm home.
  9. Masakoまだですよ。Not yet.
  10. A little later. Leo pushes the door open.
  11. Masakoいらっしゃいませ。Welcome.
  12. Leoただいま。I'm home.
  13. Masakoお帰(かえ)りなさい。Welcome back.
  14. Leo takes his bag from the seat.
  15. Leo今(いま)出(で)ます。I'm heading out now.

Practice — off or back

Eleven quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Japanese

    いってきます。Drop the English here
    いってらっしゃい。Drop the English here
    ただいま。Drop the English here
    お帰(かえ)りなさい。Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Japanese, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You stand at the kissa door, treating it like home. You are the one leaving.

  4. Pick the reply

    Masako says:

    いってきます。

    I'm off.

    And you reply with:

  5. Fill the gap

    I'll head out first.

    ____に。

  6. What does it mean?

    ただいま。

  7. Swap the word

    You are at the door, on your way out this minute.

    今(いま)____。

  8. Build the line

    Welcome back.

    。

    Tap the words in order.

  9. Which one doesn’t belong?

  10. True or false?

    Say this when you come home.

  11. Put the chat in order

    1. LeoWhat comes first?
    2. Masako…
    3. Leo…
    4. Masako…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

Say it — say it at the door

Now you're Leo at the kissa door. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. Leo (you)Say you're off, as if this were home.

    いってきます。

    I'm off.

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

JapaneseEnglish
いってきます。I'm off.
いってらっしゃい。See you, take care.
ただいま。I'm home.
お帰(かえ)りなさい。Welcome back.
お先(さき)に。I'll head out first.
今(いま)出(で)ます。I'm heading out now.
Next: lesson 10Yes and no

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these leave-home lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your leave-home lines ready for the door.

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