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) |
The term is used as a greeting given upon someone's arrival. Related forms include the noun 歓迎, which refers to the concept of a welcome or a reception and the verb 歓迎する, which refers to the act of welcoming someone.
Which one should you use?
ようこそ is used for a general welcome to a place or a person, whereas いらっしゃいませ is specifically used by staff to welcome customers into a business.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
いらっしゃいませ is a formal term used to welcome customers or guests in formal situations, typically at restaurants, shops or hotels. It is the standard polite greeting used by shopkeepers and restaurant staff. ようこそ is a formal way to say welcome that can be used in settings such as an event, a conference or a formal gathering. いらっしゃい is a slightly less formal or casual version used when greeting a friend or family member to your home or in another informal setting.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 歓迎 refers to the concept of a welcome or a reception, whereas the verb 歓迎する refers to the act of welcoming someone.
How do you pronounce it?
yōkoso
Did you know?
- While staff say いらっしゃいませ to customers, the customer typically does not reply with the same phrase. A simple nod or a small smile is the standard social response.
- While いらっしゃいませ is a standard greeting for customers, it is grammatically an imperative command, literally asking the person to 'please come'.
- The phrase ようこそ literally translates to 'well, indeed', using the emphatic particle こそ to highlight the quality of the arrival.
Examples in context
- いらっしゃい。Welcome.Tatoeba #416304 by bunbuku, translation #138919 by CM
- 日本へようこそ。Welcome to Japan.Tatoeba #122387 by small_snow, translation #281616 by CN
- 地獄へようこそ。Welcome to hell!Tatoeba #1723894 by tommy_san, translation #435946 by Clavain
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki welcomes Yota to her home for the first time.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太くん、私の家にようこそ！Yōta-kun, watashi no ie ni yōkoso!Yota, welcome to my house!
- 陽太 Yotaお邪魔します。Ojamashimasu.Thank you for having me.
- 美咲 Misakiどうぞ、中に入って。Dōzo, naka ni haitte.Please, come inside.
- 陽太 Yotaきれいな部屋ですね。Kirei na heya desu ne.Your room is very clean.
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.
