Japanese for "Welcome Home" and "At Home"

Japanese distinguishes between the greeting upon return and the state of being home.

Welcome Home (Greeting)

• お帰りなさい (Okaerinasai) – Standard, polite. Used by those at home to the returning person.
• ただいま (Tadaima) – Said by the person arriving ("I'm back"). The response is Okaerinasai.
• おかえり (Okaeri) – Casual/family version of Okaerinasai.

At Home (State/Location)

• 家にいる (Ie ni iru) – "To be at home" (literally "in the house").
• 在宅 – "At home" / "Working from home" (formal, written, status). E.g., 在宅勤務 (remote work).
• 家 (Uchi / Ie) – "Home" / "House" contextually. Uchi ni iru = at my/our home.

Cultural Note

The Tadaima / Okaerinasai exchange is a daily ritual acknowledging safe return and shared domestic space—central to Japanese family etiquette.