お帰りなさいませ、ご主人様
okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama
In Japanese, "welcome home, master" is said as お帰りなさいませ、ご主人様 (okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama).
This phrase is a highly formal greeting used by a servant or subordinate to welcome the head of a household back home. It is most commonly heard in fictional settings, such as anime or manga or in highly stylized service environments like maid cafes to denote a specific master-servant relationship.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase お帰りなさいませ is a highly honorific version of a standard welcome back, where the -mase suffix adds a layer of formal politeness.
Which one should you use?
While お帰りなさい is a standard polite way to welcome someone home, the form お帰りなさいませ、ご主人様 is significantly more formal and is typically reserved for service staff or subordinates.
How do you pronounce it?
okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama
Did you know?
- Using the phrase お帰りなさいませ、ご主人様 in a non-roleplay setting can be interpreted as 'sarcastic politeness'. By being too formal, the speaker may actually be mocking the listener's perceived importance.
- The word ご主人 (goshujin) literally translates to 'master' or 'owner', but in modern casual Japanese, it is most commonly used as a polite way to refer to someone else's husband.
- In a traditional Japanese home, the person arriving says ただいま ('I am home') and the person greeting them responds with おかえり ('Welcome back'). The phrase お帰りなさいませ、ご主人様 is a highly exaggerated version of this cultural exchange.
Examples in context
- お帰りなさいませ、ご主人様。お疲れ様でした。Okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama. Otsukaresama deshita.Welcome home, master. Thank you for your hard work.
- あ、お帰りなさいませ、ご主人様！A, okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama!Oh, welcome home, master!
Example conversation
A maid greets her employer at the entrance of a large house.
- 結衣 Yuiお帰りなさいませ、ご主人様。Okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama.Welcome home, master.
- 大翔 Hirotoただいま、結衣。Tadaima, Yui.I'm home, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiお荷物をお持ちしましょうか？Onimotsu o omochi shimashou ka?Shall I carry your bags?
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとう。助かるよ。Arigatou. Tasukaru yo.Thank you. That helps.
