Out and back
Collocations, Stage 1chunk 3 of 22Home & daily routine
Leaving the house, stepping outside, running errands and getting home (late or not): the trip that starts and ends every day.
- uchi ni kaerugo home, get home
- uchi o deruleave the house
- soto ni derugo outside, step out
- kaimono ni ikugo shopping
- kaeri ga osoiget home late
Mix-ups The particle shows direction: o for the place you leave (uchi o deru), ni for where you end up or what you go to do (soto ni deru, uchi ni kaeru, kaimono ni iku). 'Go home' is kaeru, because uchi ni iku means visiting someone's house.
uchi ni kaeru
polite uchi ni kaerimasugo home, get home
うちに帰る うちにかえる うちに帰ります
verbkaeru 帰るgo back to where you belong (home, your country)typical 4% of uchi
trap Not uchi ni iku for going home yourself: iku is for going to someone else's place (tomodachi no uchi ni iku) or taking a friend along to yours (uchi iku?). Your own return home is kaeru, which also covers 'come home' and 'get home'.
Covers 'go home', 'come home' and 'get home': mou kaeru (I'm off home), uchi kaettara (once I'm home). uchi and ni are often dropped. mou kaetteru means they've already gone home, while ima kaetteru is casual for 'I'm on my way home' (also ima kaeri, kaeru tochuu).
mou uchi kaetta?
Are you home yet?
もううち帰った？
kyou wa nanji goro uchi ni kaerimasu ka?
Around what time are you going home today?
今日は何時ごろうちに帰りますか？
Going back somewhere that isn't home (your desk, your seat) is modoru; for the office after a client visit, both kaisha ni modoru and kaisha ni kaeru are heard.
Same verb: jikka (parents' home), kuni (home country)Learn alongside: uchi o deru, soto ni deru, kaeri ga osoi, jikka ni kaeru (Stage 3)Main list: kaeru (Stage 1), uchi (Stage 1), iku (Stage 1), modoru (Stage 1)
uchi o deru
polite uchi o demasuleave the house
うちを出る うちをでる うちを出ます
verbderu 出るgo out, leave; also come out, appeartypical 2% of uchi
trap English 'leave' leads to saru or hanareru, which sound like leaving for good (uchi o hanareru = leave home to live elsewhere); heading out for the day is deru: uchi o deru, and uchi kara deru is also fine.
For setting off from home, usually saying or asking when: nanji ni uchi deru?, ima uchi deta (I've just left). Casual speech drops o; dekakeru (go out) is the single-verb alternative.
nanji ni uchi deru?
What time are you leaving the house?
何時にうち出る？
nanji ni uchi o demasu ka?
What time do you leave the house?
何時にうちを出ますか？
Said with ie instead, ie o deru can mean moving out for good; iede is running away from home.
Same verb: heya (room), kaisha (office), mise (shop), eki (station)Learn alongside: uchi ni kaeru, soto ni deru, kaeri ga osoi, jikka ni kaeru (Stage 3)Main list: deru (Stage 1), uchi (Stage 1)
soto ni deru
polite soto ni demasugo outside, step out
外に出る そとにでる 外に出ます
verbderu 出るgo out, leave; also come out, appeartypical 34% of soto
For stepping out of a building or room, often just for a moment: chotto soto deyou (let's go out for a bit, get some air). Casual speech drops ni (soto deta); setting off for the day is uchi o deru or dekakeru.
samui kara soto detakunai.
It's cold, I don't want to go out.
寒いから外出たくない。
samui node, soto ni detakunai desu.
It's cold, so I don't want to go outside.
寒いので、外に出たくないです。
Going inside is naka ni hairu (back in: naka ni modoru). soto also means away from home: soto de taberu (eat out).
Same verb: beranda (balcony), niwa (garden), rouka (hallway)Learn alongside: uchi ni kaeru, uchi o deru, kaeri ga osoi, jikka ni kaeru (Stage 3)Main list: deru (Stage 1), naka / soto (Stage 3), -tai (Stage 2)
kaimono ni iku
polite kaimono ni ikimasugo shopping
買い物に行く かいものにいく 買い物に行きます
verbiku 行くgo (kaimono = kau 'buy' + mono 'things')typical 29% of kaimono
trap Not kaimono suru ni iku: the noun goes straight before ni iku (kaimono ni iku); with the verb it's the stem, kaimono shi ni iku.
Covers groceries as much as clothes: chotto kaimono itte kuru (I'm popping out to the shops). Casual speech drops ni. kaimono itteru means someone has gone shopping and is out now (okaasan nara kaimono itteru yo), not on the way; kaimono shiteru is being in the middle of shopping.
kaimono iku kedo, nanka iru?
I'm going shopping, need anything?
買い物行くけど、なんかいる？
kaimono ni ikimasu kedo, nanika irimasu ka?
I'm going shopping. Do you need anything?
買い物に行きますけど、何かいりますか？
shoppingu (the loanword) leans to browsing malls for fun; kaimono covers any buying errand.
Same verb: kaidashi (grocery run), sanpo (a walk), ryokou (a trip), gohan (a meal out)Learn alongside: asobi ni iku, eiga ni iku, sanpo ni iku, karaoke ni iku, tsuri ni iku (Stage 4), kyanpu ni iku (Stage 4), ohanami ni iku (Stage 4)Main list: -ni iku / -ni kuru (Stage 4), iku (Stage 1), kau (Stage 3)
kaeri ga osoi
polite kaeri ga osoi desuget home late
帰りが遅い かえりがおそい 帰りが遅いです
adjectiveosoi 遅いlate; also slowtypical 19% of kaeri
trap Not okureru for 'I'll be late tonight': okureru is being late for something with a set time (a train, a meeting). Getting home late is kaeri ga osoku naru, or just osoku naru.
Said about family, worried or annoyed: otousan kaeri osoi ne. Your own heads-up is kyou kaeri osoku naru (I'll be home late today), with ga usually dropped.
kyou kaeri osoku naru kara.
I'll be home late today.
今日帰り遅くなるから。
kyou wa kaeri ga osoku narimasu.
I'll be home late today.
今日は帰りが遅くなります。
The opposite is kaeri ga hayai; the same noun gives kaeri ni (on the way home): kaeri ni konbini yoru.
Same adjective: asa (mornings: a late riser), henji (reply), yuuhan (dinner)Learn alongside: uchi ni kaeru, uchi o deru, soto ni deru, jikka ni kaeru (Stage 3)Main list: osoi (Stage 3), -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4), kaeru (Stage 1), okureru (Stage 3)