20975
We are asked to stay at a family friend's house for a couple of days. I was
wondering, given that we're guests, what are the appropriate greetings to say
when you're leaving and coming back to the house? Can one say 行{い}ってきます and
ただいま?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-19T15:19:45.320
20965
2014-12-29T03:34:59.930
2014-12-29T03:34:59.930
7998
question
nuances greetings
Is saying 行ってきます and ただいま appropriate for guests?
Yes, it's appropriate. Chalk that one up to Japanese hospitality.

The only gotcha word as a visitor (for your 2nd time) is using 帰る when saying
you returned to Japan. I don't know what the cut off is, but you have to have
spent quite a bit of time there to properly use it.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-19T18:30:22.653
20968
2014-12-19T18:30:22.653
7550
20965
answer
The 行ってきます is no problem.

As for ただいま, even Japanese people hesitate whether use it or not when they're
not returning to their _own_ homes. You can find many questions about [using
ただいま at in-laws'
house](http://komachi.yomiuri.co.jp/t/2012/0930/543880.htm?o=0), and [how to
respond to neighbor's
おかえり](http://komachi.yomiuri.co.jp/t/2009/0906/261149.htm) are asked in
Japanese forums (as well as
[here](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1377/appropriate-%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A0%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE-
like-greeting-for-a-neighbor?rq=1)!). I still don't know how to greet back my
landlord when she says おかえり to me each time :)

My advice is, if you don't have feeling of resistance, or the host greets you
おかえり, then use ただいま. If you're disinclined to do, say ただいま戻りました instead. It'll
greatly reduce the "I'm home" vibe.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-20T06:12:34.813
20975
2014-12-20T09:46:51.907
2014-12-20T09:46:51.907
7810
7810
20965
answer