いえ
ieeveryday
The basic word for "home" in hiragana is いえ (ie). Speakers also say うち (uchi) for "my home" or "our house", and じっか (jikka) for the home of one's parents.
Meaning: home (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| いえ | ie | everyday |
| うち | uchi | casual, my home |
| じっか | jikka | parents' home |
To say "go home" use いえに かえる (ie ni kaeru). かえる (kaeru) means to return to a place where you belong.
Which one should you use?
いえ (ie) can mean the building or the household. うち (uchi) is warmer and also means "my family" or "my side", as in うちの いぬ (uchi no inu), "our dog".
How does it change in a sentence?
Use いえに (ie ni) or うちに (uchi ni) for the destination, and いえで (ie de) or うちで (uchi de) for an activity at home.
Did you know?
- The phrase ただいま (tadaima) is said on arriving home and the reply is おかえり (okaeri).
Examples in context
- いえに かえります。Ie ni kaerimasu.I am going home.
- うちで ゆっくり します。Uchi de yukkuri shimasu.I relax at home.
- なつやすみは じっかに かえる。Natsuyasumi wa jikka ni kaeru.In summer vacation I go back to my parents' home.
Example conversation
Rina and Takumi leave work together in the evening.
- Rinaもう かえる？Mō kaeru?Heading home already?
- Takumiうん、いえで ごはんを たべる。Un, ie de gohan o taberu.Yes, I will eat at home.
- Rinaおつかれさま。Otsukaresama.Good work today.
