Japanese word

帰る

Pronunciation

Romajikaeru

Meaning

  • verbgo home

Example

今日は早く帰ります。kyō wa haya ku kae ri ma su

I will go home early today.

Illustration for 帰る (go home)

More examples

放課後、家に帰ります。hō ka go ie ni kae ri ma su

I go home after school.

雨が降る前に帰りましょう。ame ga fu ru mae ni kae ri ma shō

Let's go home before it rains.

Core concept

Describes moving back to the place one belongs to, especially home, after being away.

Common phrases

  • 学校から帰るgak kō ka ra kae ru

    come home from school

  • 家へ帰るie e kae ru

    go home

  • 一人で帰るhito ri de kae ru

    go home alone

Similar words

帰宅するkitakusuru: To go back to one's home in a formal or written way.
戻るmodoru: To go back to a previous place or position.

Definition in Japanese

自分のいる場所から家や元いた場所へ戻る。ji bun no i ru ba sho ka ra ie ya moto i ta ba sho e modo ru

Word origin

The native Japanese verb 帰る (kaeru, "go home") comes from the older form かへる (kaheru), whose ultimate origin is uncertain; the written form uses 帰 (ki, "return home") for its sense.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 帰る (kaeru) often means leaving the current place to go home, so it can describe the trip home rather than arrival at home.

Other meanings

  • returnverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word