This article will give you all of the knowledge you need on the Japanese word yokoso, including its Japanese definition and translation, example sentences, related expressions and more!

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What does yokoso mean?

Yokoso (ようこそ) means welcome or welcome to in Japanese. You might hear this word when visiting someone’s home or school. Yokoso also features on those signs at the airport welcoming you to Japan!

Note that “e” (へ; pronounced eh) is added after the place to express direction (i.e. the “to” part of welcome to).

Yokoso = Welcome (to)

In Japanese, yokoso means welcome or welcome to somewhere.

Below, we take a look at some examples of how to use yokoso in Japanese.

To make it easier for you, I have written each sentence in full Japanese kanji in the first line, followed by roman letters (romaji), and hiragana, with the English meaning coming last.

ようこそ日本へ。
Yokoso nihon e.
ようこそにほんへ。
Welcome to Japan.

ようこそ、お入りください！
Yokoso, ohairi kudasai!
ようこそ、おはいりください!
Welcome. Please come in!

ようこそ、我が校へ。
Youkoso, waga kou e.
ようこそ、わがこうへ。
Welcome to our school.

Doitashimashite = You’re welcome

We should note at this point that you cannot use yokoso to say you’re welcome in Japanese. One way to express this is to say doitashimashite (どういたしまして) instead.

どうもありがとう！
Domo arigatou!
Thank you very much!

どういたしまして。
Doitashimashite.
You’re welcome.

今日はわざわざありがとうね。
Kyou wa wazawaza arigatou ne.
きょうはわざわざありがとうね。
Thanks for your help today.

どういたしまして。
Doitashimashite.
Not at all.

Kangei suru = to welcome

Kangei suru (歓迎する、かんげいする) is a verb that means to welcome. As we have seen, you use yokoso to welcome someone to a certain place. By contrast, kangei suru is used in a more general sense. Note that suru turns into shimasu (します) in polite language.

あなたをいつでも歓迎します。
Anata wo itsu demo kangei shimasu.
あなたをいつでもかんげいします。
You’re welcome anytime.

建設的なフィードバックは歓迎します。
Kensetsu teki na feidobakku wa kangei shimasu.
けんせつてきなふぃーどばっくはかんげいします。
We welcome constructive feedback.

Kangeikai = Welcome party

A kangeikai (歓迎会、かんげいかい) is a welcome party for newcomers that is especially common in Japanese companies. Kangeikai usually take place in April, which is often when new people join.

The equivalent Japanese for a leaving party is soubetsukai (送別会、そうべつかい).

Both occasions involve drinking alcohol at an izakaya or restaurant, maybe followed by another venue and/or a karaoke session. These parties are good way to get to know your fellow coworkers. They’re also a great chance to practice your Japanese!

Why example sentences?

Learning Japanese can seem like a daunting task at first. The grammar and forms of politeness are very different from what English native speakers are used to.

You also have three distinct writing systems to get the hang of. I know it was difficult for me when I started out in 2005. But don’t let the kanji fool you! Like any language, Japanese is conquered one word at a time.

Example sentences are a big part of how I achieved fluency and became a professional translator. That’s why I’m writing this series of articles to break down new words in simple terms. I hope they will be useful.

A couple of bonus tips

Here are a couple of additional pointers to supercharge your learning.

1. Learn new vocabulary terms with example sentences
It’s much easier to remember the meaning of a new word within a sentence rather than in isolation. Use sites such as Linguee to find helpful examples for the term you want to learn.

2. Focus on verbs first and foremost.
Verbs will allow you to quickly construct your own sentences so they should be the main part of your study early on. You can always learn the Japanese for pencil sharpener when you actually need it.

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Rohan

Rohan is a professional Japanese translator and the author behind Tanukiki.com, a blog that offers Japanese language tips and insights on life in Japan.

Rohan's favorite resource for learning Japanese is JapanesePod101, one of the best tools for getting started with the language. Sign up for a free lifetime account here.

The meaning of yokoso (ようこそ) and how to use it