お入りください
ohairikudasai
The English phrase "please come in" is translated into Japanese as お入りください (ohairikudasai).
お入りください is a polite invitation used to tell someone to enter a room or a building. You can make the invitation sound even more welcoming and natural by adding どうぞ before it.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the honorific prefix お, the stem of the verb hairu (to enter) and kudasai (please).
Which one should you use?
While お入りください is a formal and respectful way to invite someone in, the form 入ってください is a standard polite version used in everyday conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お入りください is a highly polite, formal expression suitable for business settings or hosting guests. For a friendly and casual way of saying "please come in," you can use Haitte kite / 入ってきて.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 入ってください is a standard polite way to say "please enter", whereas お入りください is more formal and respectful.
How do you pronounce it?
ohairikudasai
Did you know?
- In a business context, a visitor may respond to this invitation by saying shitsurei shimasu, which literally means 'I am about to commit a rudeness'.
- If you are welcoming someone into your home, you might use 上がってください (agatte kudasai), which literally means 'please go up'. This refers to the tradition of stepping up into the raised floor of a Japanese house.
- While お入りください is perfect for formal situations, using it to a close friend can actually create a cold, psychological distance between you, making the relationship feel suddenly professional or stiff.
Examples in context
- 中にお入りください。Please come in.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase お入りください when asking someone to go inside.Tatoeba #12316463 by small_snow, translation #435705 by CK
- とにかくまあ、お入りください。Anyway, please come in.This sentence shows how to use お入りください when inviting someone in regardless of the circumstances.Tatoeba #200461 by wakatyann630, translation #37662 by Mediabat
- どうぞ一人ずつお入りください。Please come in one by one.This sentence demonstrates using お入りください to ask people to enter one at a time.Tatoeba #201302 by wakatyann630, translation #38510 by AlanF_US
- 田中さん、どうぞお入りください。Mr. Tanaka, please come in.
- お忙しいところ、失礼しますが、どうぞお入りください。I apologize for disturbing you, but please come in.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A doctor's office waiting room.
- 美咲 Misakiこちらへどうぞ。お入りください。Kochira e douzo. Ohairi kudasai.This way, please. Please come in.
- 陽太 Yota失礼します。Shitsurei shimasu.Excuse me.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太さんですね？Youta-san desu ne?You are Youta, right?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、そうです。Hai, sou desu.Yes, that's right.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
