Translation guide
How to express the idea of staying indoors in Japanese, from simply being at home to deliberately not going out.
今日は家にいます。
I'm staying indoors today.
一日中家にいました。
I stayed home all day.
To say that someone is staying at home or inside a building, often for a period of time.
The most basic and natural way to say 'stay at home' or 'be at home'. It simply states the location.
今日は一日中家にいるつもりです。
I plan to stay home all day today.
On rainy days, staying home is best.
Implies shutting oneself in at home, often for a long time or with a sense of seclusion. Can have a slightly negative nuance of being a shut-in.
彼は失業してから家にこもりがちだ。
He tends to stay shut in at home since he lost his job.
Literally 'be indoors'. More formal and used in written contexts or announcements, not common in casual speech.
熱中症予防のため、日中は屋内にいてください。
Please stay indoors during the daytime to prevent heatstroke.
To express the choice or habit of not going out, often socially or for leisure.
Directly means 'not go out'. Neutral and widely used.
週末は外出しないで家で映画を見ます。
On weekends I don't go out; I watch movies at home.
Literally 'not leave the house'. Emphasizes the boundary of the home.
昨日は一歩も家から出なかった。
Yesterday I didn't step outside the house at all.
Refers to withdrawing from society and staying indoors, often associated with social withdrawal (hikikomori). Stronger and more specific than just staying in.
To express staying indoors because of bad weather, illness, or external reasons.
Means to shut oneself in at home, often due to external factors like rain or a pandemic.
台風で一日中家に閉じこもっていた。
I was stuck indoors all day because of the typhoon.
Expresses that there is no choice but to stay home. Conveys a sense of resignation.
こんなに雪が降っては、家にいるしかない。
With this much snow, we have no choice but to stay home.
家にいる is neutral and simply means 'be at home'. 家にこもる implies staying inside for a long time, often with a nuance of seclusion or reluctance to go out. Use こもる when you want to emphasize shutting yourself in.
休日は家にいることが多い。
I'm often at home on my days off.
彼は部屋にこもってゲームばかりしている。
He shuts himself in his room and does nothing but play games.
The English word 'stay' is sometimes used in Japanese as ステイ, but it is not natural for 'staying indoors'. Stick to native Japanese expressions like 家にいる.
寒い日は家にいるほうが好きです。
I prefer staying indoors on cold days.
彼女は風邪をひいてからずっと家にこもっている。
She's been staying indoors since she caught a cold.
彼は何年も部屋に引きこもっている。
He has been shut in his room for years.