Japanese - Daily Farewells

Lesson 143 of 168

A cozy Japanese entryway (genkan) where someone ties their shoes and says いってきます — bright morning light, everyday life in Japan.

Goal: Short, friendly home greetings you’ll hear every day

Free Japanese lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Small, useful phrases make a big difference — and Japanese has a warm set for leaving and returning home. In this short lesson you'll listen, repeat, and practice the four everyday home greetings used in families and with close friends. Have fun — these are tiny rituals that make you sound natural fast.

Level A1: This lesson teaches four common Japanese home phrases: いってきます (Itte kimasu), いってらっしゃい (Itte rasshai), ただいま (Tadaima), and お帰りなさい (Okaeri nasai). You’ll hear them in a mini-conversation, practice with quizzes, and say them aloud to build good pronunciation and timing. (CEFR-aligned phrasing for beginners.)

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Learn when to say いってきます (Itte kimasu) and いってらっしゃい (Itte rasshai).
  • Recognize and reply to ただいま (Tadaima) and お帰りなさい (Okaeri nasai).
  • Practice listening, choosing the right phrase, and speaking each line aloud.
  • Level A1: feel comfortable using these four everyday home greetings.
Family in a small apartment: a parent waves as their child leaves saying いってきます; the scene shows everyday Japanese greetings.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

いってきます

Itte kimasu.

I’m off.

Meaning: I’m off.

When to use: Say this when you are leaving home or a familiar place to go out for a while (work, school, errands).

Tip: Beginner learners sometimes confuse いってきます (when you leave) with いってらっしゃい (what you hear from the person staying).

朝、出かける前に「いってきます」と言います。

Asa, dekakeru mae ni 'Itte kimasu' to iimasu.

In the morning, before going out, you say "I'm off."
友だちの家を出るときに「いってきます」と言いました。

Tomodachi no ie o deru toki ni 'Itte kimasu' to iimashita.

When leaving a friend's house, they said "I'm off."

いってらっしゃい。

Itte rasshai.

See you, have a good trip.

Meaning: See you, have a good trip.

When to use: Say this to someone who is leaving and is expected to come back — a warm send-off from the people staying behind.

Tip: Don't use this when you are the one leaving — it's said by the person staying behind.

お母さんが子どもに「いってらっしゃい」と言いました。

Okaasan ga kodomo ni 'Itte rasshai' to iimashita.

The mother said "Have a good day" to her child leaving.
出かける同僚に「いってらっしゃい」と声をかけます。

Dekakeru dōryō ni 'Itte rasshai' to koe o kakemasu.

You call "See you" to a coworker who is leaving.

ただいま

Tadaima.

I’m home.

Meaning: I’m home.

When to use: Say this when you return home or come back to a familiar place to announce your arrival.

仕事から帰ってきて「ただいま」と言いました。

Shigoto kara kaette kite 'Tadaima' to iimashita.

After coming back from work, they said "I'm home."
買い物から戻ったときに「ただいま」と言います。

Kaimono kara modotta toki ni 'Tadaima' to iimasu.

When returning from shopping, you say "I'm home."

お帰りなさい

Okaeri nasai.

Welcome back.

Meaning: Welcome back.

When to use: Say this to someone who has just returned home or come back to a familiar place as a friendly greeting.

Tip: Learners sometimes use casual おかえり (okaeri) in all situations; お帰りなさい is the polite form for family or slightly more formal contexts.

お父さんが帰ってきて、みんなが「お帰りなさい」と言いました。

Otōsan ga kaette kite, minna ga 'Okaeri nasai' to iimashita.

When Dad came back, everyone said "Welcome back."
家に着いたら、まず「ただいま」。家の人が「お帰りなさい」。

Ie ni tsuitara, mazu 'Tadaima'. Ie no hito ga 'Okaeri nasai'.

When you arrive home, first "I'm home." The family says "Welcome back."

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna leaves in the morning and returns in the evening.

Anna leaving and later returning at the front door: quick, warm exchanges of いってきます, いってらっしゃい, ただいま, and お帰りなさい.

What phrase does Anna say when she leaves the house?

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

行ってきます

Itte kimasu.

I'm off.

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

いってらっしゃい。気をつけてね。

Itte rasshai. Ki o tsukete ne.

See you — take care.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

ただいま

Tadaima!

I'm home!

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

お帰りなさい。お疲れさま。

Okaeri nasai. Otsukaresama.

Welcome back. Good job today.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase do you say when you are leaving home?

You come back home and want to announce your arrival. Which phrase do you use?

If a family member leaves for work, which phrase should the people staying at home say?

Which phrase means 'Welcome back' and is commonly said to someone who just arrived home?

In the morning, Maria said "Itte kimasu" to her family before going to work.

朝、マリアは仕事に行く前に家族に「___」と言いました。

In the evening, Tarō returned home and opened the door saying "Tadaima."

夕方、太郎が家に戻ってきて、ドアを開けて「___」と言いました。

When the younger sister left for school, the mother at the entrance said "Itte rasshai."

妹が学校に出かけるとき、母が玄関で『___』と言いました。

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

いってきます

Itte kimasu.

I'm off.

Say this phrase out loud:

いってらっしゃい。

Itte rasshai.

See you; have a good trip.

Say this phrase out loud:

ただいま

Tadaima.

I'm home.

Say this phrase out loud:

お帰りなさい

Okaeri nasai.

Welcome back.