いらっしゃいませ

Japanese

Japanese phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

いらっしゃい (irasshai, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative”) of the honorific verb いらっしゃる　irassharu) +‎ ませ (mase, the 命令形 (meireikei, “imperative”) of formal suffix masu).

Compare Korean 어서 오세요 (eoseo oseyo, literally “quickly come (honorific)”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) いらっしゃいま​せ [ìrássháímáꜜsè] (Nakadaka – [6])
• IPA^(key): [iɾa̠ɕːa̠ima̠se̞]

Interjection

いらっしゃいませ • (irasshaimase) 

1. welcome
2. please come on in

Usage notes

• Used by a store person to greet a customer, similarly to "hello, may I help you?"

Related terms

• いらっしゃる (irassharu)

See also

• ようこそ (yōkoso)