When learning Japanese for the first time, it’s a great idea to learn high frequency phrases commonly used in daily life in Japan. It’s also good to learn phrases that are uniquely Japanese, that don’t translate well into English but give an insight into the culture. One such phrase is いってきます itte kimasu. It literally means “I’m going and coming”. It is used when leaving the house and means something like “I’m going out now, see you later”. In response to that you would say “いってらっしゃい” which means something like “see you later”.

You’ll hear this a lot when people are leaving a house in the morning for work for example. So commit this to memory and learn it well young Japanese Jedi, it will serve you well!

Oh and you thought the learning was over…WRONG! Here is the transcription to the video so you can learn some really natural Japanese as spoken by Tomoe in this video. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

“What? So you mean this one video is good for both beginner and more advanced students of Japanese, AND I can learn some unscripted natural Japanese at the same time?” I hear you ask.

THAT’S RIGHT my trainee Japanese ninjas. Thank me later…

But I digress…

Now, let’s check out the transcript.

Japanese transcript:

次のビデオはすごい簡単なんだけどいつもよく使われて言葉です。家を出る時に「いってきます」。中に家に残ってる人が「いってらっしゃい」、気をつけてね。も一回言います。いってきます、いってらっしゃい。はい、これだけです。簡単です。

Pronunciation:

tsugi no bideo wa sogoi kantan nan dakedo itsumo yoku tsukawareteru kotoba desu. ie wo deru toki ni itte kimasu. naka ni ie ni nokotteru hito ga itterasshai, ki o tsukete ne. mo ichido iimasu. itte kimasu, itterasshai. hai, kore dake desu. kantan desu.

English translation:

This next video is really easy but has a commonly used word in it. When you leave the house, you say “itte kimasu”. The person remaining in the house says “itte rasshai”, take care. I’ll say it one more time. Itte kimasu, itte rasshai. Right, that’s it. It’s easy.

More Japanese language learning videos

	Learn Japanese Pod Video 1: How to introduce yourself in Japanese | In this video, we learn some basic useful greetings in Japanese.
	Learn Japanese Pod Video 2: Useful daily phrases you use a lot in Japanese | In this lesson, you will learn some must-know daily phrases in Japanese
	Learn Japanese Pod Video 3: Phrases for leaving your house – itte kimasu | “Itte-kimasu” is perhaps one of the most used phrases in Japanese and you should definitely learn it! Check out the video to see what it means.
	Learn Japanese Pod Video 4: Phrases for when you get home – Tadaima – Okaeri nasai | In this video you will learn some great phrases used everyday in Japan when returning home
	Learn Japanese Pod Video 5: How to apologize in Japanese | As they say in Japan, if it’s your fault, apologize, and if it isn’t, apologize. Check out how to apologize in Japanese.
	Learn Japanese Pod Video 6: Useful Japanese phrases for restaurants in Japan 1 | In this video you’ll learn how to get seats on your arrival at a restaurant
	Learn Japanese Pod Video 7: Useful Japanese phrases for restaurants in Japan 2 | In this video you’ll learn how to order drinks in Japanese at a restaurant after being shown to your table

Interviews

1) Interview with a Zen monk on meditation in Kyoto