ただいま
ただいま
hepburn tadaima
I'm home (just now)
Part of speech · expression
Pattern visualization
no decomposition available
Examples
- ただいま!I'm home!
- ただいま戻りました。I have just returned (polite).
Collocations
ただいま (tadaima, "I'm home")おかえり / おかえりなさい (okaeri, "welcome back")只今 (tadaima, "just now" — kanji)戻る (modoru, return)帰る (kaeru, go home)
Mnemonic
ただいま tadaima — kanji 只今 = "just (只) + now (今)" = "right now / just this moment". Etymologically a clipping of "I have just [returned]" — the verb 戻りました is dropped. Paired with おかえり(なさい) ("welcome back"). A return-to-home ritual. The kanji form 只今 still functions as the formal time adverb "just now" in news and announcements, branching from greeting to time-adverb. Everyday writing uses kana ただいま.
Quick check
Most natural reply to ただいま?