いらっしゃい

also: いらしゃい

い

ら

っ

しゃ

い

Common wordJLPTN4

Meanings

1

interjection

please come; please go; please stay

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Polite imperative of the honorific verb いらっしゃる. It can invite or tell someone respectfully to come, go, or remain, depending on the construction and context.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉へいらっしゃいplease come to 〈place〉
今こん度どうちへいらっしゃい。
Do come to my place sometime.

Related words

いらっしゃいませN5sense 2
いらっしゃい is a shorter, slightly casual greeting or command, while いらっしゃいませ is the fuller, more formal version standard in shops and formal service settings.
おいでN1sense 1
いらっしゃい is the honorific imperative used respectfully to invite or direct someone, while おいで is a warmer, more casual way to tell someone to come, often used with children or close friends.
ようこそN1
いらっしゃい is a casual welcome used mainly in shops or at the door, while ようこそ is more formal and common in speeches or written greetings.

Politeness

いらっしゃいませN5
いらっしゃいませ is the polite, formal version used by shop or restaurant staff, while いらっしゃい is the plainer form used casually, e.g. welcoming someone to your home.

Etymology

Derived from the honorific verb いらっしゃる; the imperative form いらっしゃい is also lexicalized as a welcome greeting.