Meaning of: いらっしゃいます。


I know what はじめまして means. It means, _pleased_ / _nice to meet you_. When
reading Manga at school to learn these expressions, I see the phrase quite
often.

But there was one Manga where I saw the phrase, いらっしゃいます。What does this phrase
mean? From the Manga, I think it means _welcome_ but does it mean that, or is
it more specific; for example, something like _welcome home_ or _welcome to
this place_ of some sort. The Manga featured a guy saying this idiom to guests
walking into a restaurant.

Please let me know so I understand.

Thank you in advance.




いらっしゃいます is the ます form of
[いらっしゃる](https://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%84%E3%82%89%E3%81%A3%E3%81%97%E3%82%83%E3%82%8B),
which is the honorific or polite form of いる. Used when referring to or
addressing customers, superiors, audience members, guests, etc.

> 「同｛おな｝じような思｛おも｝いをした方｛かた｝は いらっしゃいます か？」 would basically be the polite
> equivalent of 「同じような思いをした人は います か？」

Now, いらっしゃる has multiple nuanced meanings (come, go, be, etc.). In the usage
of いらっしゃいませ, which is the greeting upon entering a place of business, the
'come' definition makes sense. It is in the spirit of 'come on in', but
without a higher level of formality, hence the standard translation as
'welcome'.




いらっしゃいます is the ます form of
[いらっしゃる](https://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%84%E3%82%89%E3%81%A3%E3%81%97%E3%82%83%E3%82%8B),
which is the honorific or polite form of いる. Used when referring to or
addressing customers, superiors, audience members, guests, etc.

> 「同｛おな｝じような思｛おも｝いをした方｛かた｝は いらっしゃいます か？」 would basically be the polite
> equivalent of 「同じような思いをした人は います か？」

Now, いらっしゃる has multiple nuanced meanings (come, go, be, etc.). In the usage
of いらっしゃいませ, which is the greeting upon entering a place of business, the
'come' definition makes sense. It is in the spirit of 'come on in', but
without a higher level of formality, hence the standard translation as
'welcome'.

