“To go home” in Japanese is 帰る (かえる), pronounced kaeru.
Pronunciation
The word has 3 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
To return home or go back. It looks like a る-verb but is group 1, so the polite form is 帰ります.
Example sentences
- 何時に帰りますか。なんじにかえりますか。What time are you going home?
- そろそろ帰ります。そろそろかえります。I’ll be heading home soon.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 帰る. The rules are explained in Japanese verbs: the ます form.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary (plain) | 帰る かえる | go home |
| Polite present | 帰ります かえります | go home |
| Polite negative | 帰りません かえりません | don’t go home |
| Polite past | 帰りました かえりました | past of “go home” |
| Plain negative (ない) | 帰らない かえらない | don’t go home (casual) |
| Plain past (た) | 帰った かえった | past of “go home” (casual) |
| て-form | 帰って かえって | go home and… / please go home (+ください) |
| Want to (たい) | 帰りたい かえりたい | want to go home |
Quick practice
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Related words: Everyday verbs
FAQ
How do you say to go home in Japanese?
To go home in Japanese is 帰る (かえる), pronounced “kaeru”.
How do you write to go home in Japanese?
It's written 帰る with kanji, or かえる in hiragana. Both are read kaeru.
Is 帰る on the JLPT?
Yes. 帰る (kaeru) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.