Defining Tadaima in Japanese

The meaning of the Japanese word Tadaima is "I'm back home." However, the literal translation of tadaima from Japanese to English is actually “just now."

It would be awarkard in English to say  “just now” when arriving home, but in Japanese this phrase really means, “I just came home."

Tadaima is a shortened version of the original Japanese phrase “tadaima kaerimashita,” which means, “I just came home.”

Responses to Tadaima

"Okaerinasai （おかえりなさい）" or "Okaeri （おかえり）are responses to Tadaima. The translation of those words is "welcome home."

Tadaima and okaeri are two of the most common Japanese greetings. In fact, the order in which they are said is not important.

For those fans of anime or Japanese dramas, you'll hear  these phrases over and over.

Related Phrases:

Okaeri nasaimase! goshujinsama (おかえりなさいませ！ご主人様♥) means “welcome home master.” This phrase is used a lot in anime by maids or butlers.

Pronunciation of Tadaima

Listen to the audio file for "Tadaima."

Japanese Characters for Tadaima

ただいま。