いってきます

Vocabulary Word Japanese ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral
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Meaning: A set phrase meaning 'I'm heading out' or 'I'll go and come back,' said when leaving home.

一句固定用语,意为'我出门了'或'我去去就回',出门时对家人说的话。
Una frase hecha que significa 'me voy' o 'voy y vuelvo', dicha al salir de casa.
'다녀오겠습니다' 또는 '갔다 올게요'라는 뜻으로, 집을 나설 때 사용하는 정형화된 인사 표현.

いってきます is one of Japan's most deeply ingrained daily rituals. Literally meaning 'I will go and come back,' it is said by anyone leaving the house to those staying behind. It implies a promise to return safely and is always answered with いってらっしゃい. The exchange is so automatic that skipping it feels unsettling to most Japanese people. It has expanded to online culture where people post it when leaving a chat or starting an outing.

「いってきます」是日本最根深蒂固的日常仪式之一。字面意思是'我去了会回来的',任何出门的人都会对留在家里的人说这句话。它暗含着平安归来的承诺,对方总是会回应「いってらっしゃい」。这个对话已经自然到了如果省略会让大多数日本人感到不安的程度。在网络文化中,人们在离开聊天室或外出时也会发这句话。
いってきます es uno de los rituales diarios más arraigados en Japón. Literalmente significa 'iré y volveré', y lo dice cualquier persona que sale de casa dirigiéndose a quienes se quedan. Implica una promesa de regresar sano y salvo, y siempre se responde con いってらっしゃい. El intercambio es tan automático que omitirlo resulta inquietante para la mayoría de los japoneses. Se ha extendido a la cultura online, donde la gente lo publica al salir de un chat o al empezar una salida.
いってきます는 일본에서 가장 깊이 뿌리내린 일상 의례 중 하나입니다. 직역하면 '갔다가 돌아오겠습니다'라는 뜻으로, 집을 나서는 사람이 남아 있는 사람에게 하는 말입니다. 무사히 돌아오겠다는 약속을 담고 있으며, 항상 いってらっしゃい라는 대답이 뒤따릅니다. 이 인사를 주고받는 것이 너무나 자연스러워서 생략하면 대부분의 일본인에게 불안감을 줍니다. 온라인 문화에서도 채팅방을 떠나거나 외출할 때 사용하는 것으로 확장되었습니다.

Examples

  1. いってきます!今日は遅くなるかも。
    我出门了!今天可能会晚回来。
    ¡Me voy! Puede que hoy llegue tarde.
    다녀오겠습니다! 오늘은 좀 늦을지도 몰라요.
  2. じゃあいってきます、お昼までには戻るね。
    那我出门了,中午之前回来。
    Bueno, me voy, vuelvo antes de la hora de comer.
    그럼 다녀올게요, 점심 전에는 돌아올게.
  3. いってきまーす、忘れ物ないよね?
    我走啦——东西都带齐了吧?
    ¡Me vooy! No me dejo nada, ¿verdad?
    다녀오겠습니다~, 빠뜨린 거 없지?

Pronunciation

/it.te.ki.ma.sɯ/

Usage Guide

Context: home, family, shared living spaces, online (leaving chat)

Tone: warm, ritualistic

✓ Do Say

  • いってきます、夕飯までに帰るよ (I'm heading out, I'll be back by dinner)
    我出门了,晚饭前回来(I'm heading out, I'll be back by dinner)
    Me voy, volveré para la cena.
    다녀오겠습니다, 저녁까지는 돌아올게요 (갔다 올게요, 저녁 전에 올게)
  • いってきます!行ってくるね〜 (I'm off! See you later~)
    我走啦!出去一趟哦~(I'm off! See you later~)
    ¡Me voy! ¡Hasta luego~!
    다녀오겠습니다! 갔다 올게~ (나간다! 다녀올게~)

✗ Don't Say

  • 職場で退社する時に「いってきます」は不自然 — 「お先に失礼します」を使う (Don't say いってきます when leaving the office — use お先に失礼します)
    在公司下班时说「いってきます」不自然——应该用「お先に失礼します」(Don't say いってきます when leaving the office — use お先に失礼します)
    Decir「いってきます」al marcharse de la oficina es poco natural: se usa「お先に失礼します」.
    직장에서 퇴근할 때 「いってきます」는 부자연스럽다 — 「お先に失礼します」를 사용해야 한다 (퇴근할 때 いってきます라고 하면 안 됩니다 — お先に失礼します를 쓰세요)

Common Mistakes

Origin & History

From 行って (going) + きます (will come back), a compound verb expressing departure with the intention to return. One of the oldest daily ritual phrases in Japanese household culture.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional, centuries-old daily ritual

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used in every household across Japan. One of the first phrases Japanese children learn. The call-and-response with いってらっしゃい is a defining feature of Japanese home life.

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