Oitoma (おいとま - Leaving)

Over the past two days, I introduced you to the Japanese terms that related to service to visitors.

Today I'd like to talk about おいとま (oitoma), which is used by the visitor when he/she leaves the home.

"Oitoma" and its verb form "oitoma suru" are used as a euphemism for the verb 帰る (kaeru), which means to "go home."

お (o) is a polite prefix, and いとま (itoma) means "free time" or "recess time."

Also, originally this term was used like "itoma wo chodai suru" (いとまを頂戴する - I will receive "itoma").

Receiving "itoma" means receiving "free time," and it implies that you will go home.

Later, just "itoma" and "itoma suru" have come to mean "I'm gone."

Usually, we say just something like そろそろ、おいとまさせて頂きます (sorosoro, oitoma sasete itadakimasu - It's time for me to leave).

おいとま

昨日と一昨日は、来客の対応に関する言葉を紹介しました。

今日は、あなたが客だったとして、帰る時に言う言葉「おいとま」を紹介します。

「おいとま」およびその動詞形の「おいとまする」は、「帰る」の婉曲表現として謙譲語的に用いられます。

「お」は丁寧の接頭辞、「いとま」は「ひま」や「休む時間」を意味します。

そして、この言葉はもともと「いとまを頂戴する」のように使われていました。

「いとま」を頂くということは、「時間」を頂くことであり、それは「帰る」ことにも繋がります。

これが、「いとま」や「いとまする」だけでも「帰る」を意味するようになったというわけです。

通常は、「そろそろ、おいとまさせて頂きます」のように使います。

• Over the past two days, I introduced you to the Japanese terms that related to service to visitors.
• Over the past two days, I introduced you to the Japanese terms that relate to servicing visitors.

• Today I'd like to talk about おいとま (oitoma), which is used by the visitor when he/she leaves the home.
• Today I'd like to talk about おいとま (oitoma), which is used by the visitor (or: guest) when he/she leaves the house.

Interesting! Sometimes it is better to leave early rather than wait to the last minute.