私はいつも戻ってくる
watashi wa itsumo modotte kuru
The English phrase "i always come back" is translated into Japanese as 私はいつも戻ってくる (watashi wa itsumo modotte kuru).
A statement used to say that a person consistently returns to a place or situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb component 戻ってくる is a compound meaning "to come back", consisting of 戻る (to return) and くる (to come).
Which one should you use?
You may see variations like いつでも帰ってくるよ to convey the nuance of "I'll always come back, you know".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase can be expressed with varying levels of politeness. 私はいつも戻ります, いつも戻ります and 必ず戻ります are formal ways to say "I always come back". In contrast, いつも戻ってくる is an informal way to express this. For a more masculine and informal tone, you can replace the pronoun 私 with 俺 to say 俺はいつも戻ってくる.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi wa itsumo modotte kuru
Did you know?
- The verb くる in 戻ってくる changes to いく in 戻っていく if the speaker is moving away from the listener. This depends on the speaker's physical location rather than the action of returning itself.
- If you want to say you are returning to your hometown or your true home, you would replace 戻る with 帰る, making the phrase いつも帰ってくる.
- The word いつも (always) can sometimes be replaced by 絶えず (taezu) to give the phrase a more poetic, literary, or even slightly eerie feeling of 'ceaselessly'.
Examples in context
- 絶対に戻ってくるから、心配しないでねDon't worry, because I'll definitely come back.
- 私はいつも戻ってくる。Watashi wa itsumo modotte kuru.I always come back.
- 結局、私はいつも戻ってくる。Kekkyoku, watashi wa itsumo modotte kuru.In the end, I always come back.
Example conversation
Ren is surprised to see Misaki at a cafe after she said she was moving away.
- 蓮 Renえっ、美咲、どうしてここにいるの？E, Misaki, doushite koko ni iru no?Wait, Misaki, why are you here?
- 美咲 Misaki結局、私はいつも戻ってくるから。Kekkyoku, watashi wa itsumo modotte kuru kara.Because, in the end, I always come back.
- 蓮 Ren本当に君は自由な人だね。Hontou ni kimi wa jiyuu na hito da ne.You really are a free spirit.
- 美咲 Misakiそう言われると照れるわ。Sou iwareru to tereru wa.I'm embarrassed when you say that.
