いってきます

• Reading: いってきます
• Romaji: itte kimasu
• Pronunciation: /it.te.ki.ma.sɯ/

Meaning

A set phrase meaning 'I'm heading out' or 'I'll go and come back,' said when leaving home.

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.

Examples

1. いってきます！今日は遅くなるかも。 I'm heading out! I might be late today.
2. じゃあいってきます、お昼までには戻るね。 Alright, I'm off — I'll be back by lunch.
3. いってきまーす、忘れ物ないよね？ I'm heading out~ I didn't forget anything, right?

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)
• いってきます！行ってくるね〜 (I'm off! See you later~)

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)

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to say いってきます when leaving home — it is a strong social expectation in Japan
• Using it when leaving work — it is specifically a home/personal departure phrase

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.