How to Say ‘I'm leaving (said when leaving home)’ in Japanese
いってきます
itsu te ki masu
[EET teh kee mahs]
💬 Usage Tip: Literally it means "I'll go and come back", which is why it promises your return rather than meaning a plain goodbye.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Families say this every time someone leaves the house, and people also say it when stepping out of the office for an errand. The others reply いってらっしゃい.
Phrase Breakdown
いっ
itsu
[EET]
go
Form of iku (to go) before the te-ending.
学校に行って勉強します。
I go to school and study.
て
te
[teh]
te-form ending
This て makes the phrase a gentle request or friendly instruction: please take care.
てはお気をつけての終わりです。
て is the ending of お気をつけて.
き
ki
[kee]
come (stem)
The first part of the verb came.
きましたのきです。
This is the き in きました.
ます
masu
[mahs]
polite verb ending
Polite present/future ending used in verbs like します.
今確認します。
I will check now.
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