Meaning and Usage
"お帰り" is a casual or semi-formal greeting used to welcome someone who has returned home or to a familiar place. It literally means "return" but is commonly used as "welcome back".
Common Contexts
You often hear "お帰り" from family members or close friends when someone comes home. The more polite form is "お帰りなさい". It can also appear in workplace or public settings when referring to someone's return, often combined with instructions or remarks.
Collocations and Patterns
- お帰りなさい: polite, warm welcome home
- お帰りの際: "when returning" used in instructions or announcements
- お帰りと言う: to say "welcome back" usually to family or close people
Register and Nuance
"お帰り" is friendly and warm, suitable for informal to semi-formal situations. Avoid using it with strangers or in very formal contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "お帰り" with just the verb "帰る" (to return). Remember "お帰り" is a noun/greeting and often used as a set phrase to welcome someone back, not just to describe the action of returning.