Is お帰り only used in the home environment?


I use the term at home, but can it be used in other situations outside of the
home? Thank you.




Well, it depends on what the context for 'home' is.

If the context for 'home' is literally 'your home', the answer is that the
verb 帰る and the phrase おかえりなさい or a variant of it can be used in other
situations. Consider the following:

In a situation where you've gone traveling, for example, for an extended
period of time. Say you've flown back, and a friend is waiting for you at the
airport. Your friend may greet you with an おかえりなさい, even though you're not
physically at your home.

Or, similar situation, you've gone traveling, and now you've become homesick
of, say, Kyoto, your hometown. To tell a friend where you are, for example,
that you'd like to go back to Kyoto, the phrase 京都に帰りたい is valid to convey the
feeling that you miss home and want to go back.




Well, it depends on what the context for 'home' is.

If the context for 'home' is literally 'your home', the answer is that the
verb 帰る and the phrase おかえりなさい or a variant of it can be used in other
situations. Consider the following:

In a situation where you've gone traveling, for example, for an extended
period of time. Say you've flown back, and a friend is waiting for you at the
airport. Your friend may greet you with an おかえりなさい, even though you're not
physically at your home.

Or, similar situation, you've gone traveling, and now you've become homesick
of, say, Kyoto, your hometown. To tell a friend where you are, for example,
that you'd like to go back to Kyoto, the phrase 京都に帰りたい is valid to convey the
feeling that you miss home and want to go back.

