Tadaima (ただいま - I'm home)

In Japan, people often say "tadaima" (ただいま) when they arrive at their homes.

This is short for "tadaima kaerimashita" (ただいま帰りました), which is more polite and formal than saying just tadaima.

Here, "tada" means "just," "ima" means "now," and "kaerimashita" means "I'm home" or "I'm back."

Hence "tadaima kaerimashita" means "Just now I'm home," but somehow kaerimashita which means "I'm home" has come to be abbreviated and tadaima has come to have the same meaning as kaerimashita.

It might be derived from the fact that tadaima is easier to say or more approachable than kaerimashita.

ただいま

日本では、家に帰るときよく「ただいま」と言います。

これは、より丁寧で形式的な表現である「ただいま帰りました」を略した言葉です。

ここで、「ただいま」は "just now," 「帰りました」は "I'm home" や "I'm back" を意味します。

そのため、「ただいま帰りました」は "Just now I'm home" となりますが、なぜか I'm home を意味する帰りましたのほうが省略されるようになりました。

良いやすさや馴染みやすさによってこのようになったのかもしれません。

• In Japan, people often say "tadaima" (ただいま) when they arrive at their homes.
• In Japan, people often say "tadaima" (ただいま) when they arrive home.

  The word "home" is weird: "arrive home," "get home," "go home."

• This is short for "tadaima kaerimashita" (ただいま帰りました), which is more polite and formal than saying just tadaima.
• This is short for "tadaima kaerimashita" (ただいま帰りました), which is more polite and formal than saying just "tadaima."

• Hence "tadaima kaerimashita" means "Just now I'm home," but somehow kaerimashita which means "I'm home" has come to be abbreviated and tadaima has come to have the same meaning as kaerimashita.
• Hence "tadaima kaerimashita" means "Just now I'm home," but somehow "kaerimashita" (which means "I'm home") has been dropped and "tadaima" retains the meaning of "kaerimashita."

  We abbreviate long things into shorter things.
  "Tadaima" does not now mean "kaerimashita," but implies/carries the meaning of "kaerimashita" in it. "Retains" is an appropriate word for this context where nuance is being discussed.

• It might be derived from the fact that tadaima is easier to say or more approachable than kaerimashita.
• It might be due to the fact that "tadaima" is easier to say or more approachable than "kaerimashita."

  The meaning of "it" is unclear, so the reader is most likely to read it as "this situation." Consequently, we cannot use "derived" here.

• Tadaima (ただいま - I'm home)
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• In Japan, people often say "tadaima" (ただいま) when they arrive at their homes.
• In Japan, people often say "tadaima" (ただいま) as soon as they come home.

• Here, "tada" means "just," "ima" means "now," and "kaerimashita" means "I'm home" or "I'm back."
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• Hence "tadaima kaerimashita" means "Just now I'm home," but somehow kaerimashita which means "I'm home" has come to be abbreviated and tadaima has come to have the same meaning as kaerimashita.
• Hence "tadaima kaerimashita" means "I just came home," but somehow kaerimashita which means "I'm home" is dropped and "tadaima" kept the same meaning as "tadaima kaerimashita."

A very useful expression! Thank you for sharing.