立ち寄る

• Reading: たちよる
• Romaji: tachiyoru
• Kanji breakdown: 立 (ritsu/ta) — stand, rise; 寄 (ki/yo) — approach, gather, draw near
• Pronunciation: /ta.tɕi.jo.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To drop by; to stop by; to make a brief visit to a place along the way.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb meaning to make a quick, unplanned or secondary visit to a place while heading somewhere else. Combines 立つ (to stand/stop) with 寄る (to approach/visit). More casual and spontaneous than a planned visit. Very common in everyday Japanese for describing errands or casual stops.

Examples

1. 帰りにスーパーに立ち寄って牛乳を買った。 On my way home, I stopped by the supermarket to buy milk.
2. 近くに来たのでつい立ち寄ってしまった。 Since I was in the area, I just ended up dropping by.
3. 旅行の途中で有名な温泉に立ち寄った。 We stopped by a famous hot spring on the way during our trip.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, errands, travel

Tone: casual

Origin & History

Compound verb from 立つ (to stop, stand) and 寄る (to approach, drop in). Together they describe the act of pausing one's journey to briefly approach and visit a place.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal