Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ようこそ | yōkoso | [jo̞ːko̞so̞] (narrow) |
| いらっしゃいませ | irasshaimase | [iɾa̠ɕːa̠ima̠se̞] (narrow) |
| いらっしゃい | irasshai | [iɾa̠ɕːa̠i] (narrow) |
These terms are used to greet someone upon their arrival. ようこそ is used for a general welcome to a place or a situation, such as "Welcome to Japan". It can also be used in a dramatic sense in media, for example, "Welcome to my world" or "Welcome to hell".
Which one should you use?
While ようこそ is a general welcome to a place or situation, the other forms are specific to service or social contexts. いらっしゃいませ is the standard greeting used by staff in shops or restaurants to welcome customers. いらっしゃい is a casual version of that shopkeeper's greeting, often used in smaller, more local establishments or by someone welcoming a guest into their home.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using ようこそ to welcome someone to a destination, the particle へ or に, meaning "to" or "towards", is typically used after the destination name.
How do you pronounce it?
yōkoso
When do people say it?
Note that if you are looking for the phrase "You're welcome" (as a response to "Thank you"), you should use Douitashimashite, which is a formal way to say "You're welcome" or "Don't mention it".
Did you know?
- The shopkeeper's greeting いらっしゃいませ is actually a command in disguise. It uses the imperative form of a verb to essentially tell the customer to 'please come in'.
- The phrase ようこそ is built from the word for 'well' and an emphatic particle. It literally translates to something like 'it is truly well' that you have arrived.
- While いらっしゃいませ is a greeting, customers in Japan are generally not expected to reply to it. A polite nod or a small smile is the standard response.
Examples in context
- いらっしゃい。Welcome.This sentence shows the use of the informal greeting いらっしゃい.Tatoeba #416304 by bunbuku, translation #138919 by CM
- 日本へようこそ。Welcome to Japan.This sentence demonstrates how to use ようこそ with a destination.Tatoeba #122387 by small_snow, translation #281616 by CN
- 地獄へようこそ。Welcome to hell!This sentence shows a dramatic use of ようこそ.Tatoeba #1723894 by tommy_san, translation #435946 by Clavain
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At the airport, a woman greets a man arriving from abroad.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さん、日本へようこそ！Hiroto-san, Nihon e yokoso!Hiroto, welcome to Japan!
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとう、陽葵さん。Arigato, Himari-san.Thank you, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himariやっと会えましたね。Yatto aemashita ne.We finally met.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当に、とても嬉しいです。Honto ni, totemo ureshii desu.Truly, I am very happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations and entries ようこそ, いらっしゃいませ, いらっしゃい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries いらっしゃい, いらっしゃいませ, ようこそ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
