There is a simple way to say “Come here” in Japanese. However, there are many other less direct and polite ways to say it.
Here are 10 natural ways to say “Come here” in Japanese.
1. Standard Expression: ここに来て下さい (Koko Ni Kite Kudasai): Please Come Here
ここに来て下さい (Koko ni kite kudasai) is the typical phrase that means “Please come here” in Japanese. It is probably the most straightforward way to ask someone to “come here.” However, it sounds a little too direct and can sound childish, so I recommend not using it with people you respect or who have a higher social status than you (your boss, elders, people with a higher seniority than you, etc.).
ここ (koko) means “here.” に (ni) is a particle that marks a direction (in this sentence, it means “to here.”)
“来て” (kite) is the te-form of the verb 来る (kuru), which means “to come.” 下さい (kudasai) means “please.”
You could replace the ここに (koko ni) with こちらに (kochira ni), which also means “here.” こちらに sounds a bit more conversational and natural.
Examples:
1. 見せたいものがあるので、こちらに来て下さい。
(Misetai mono ga aru node kochira ni kite kudasai.)
I have something to show you, so please come here.
2. コンサートチケットを買うためには、ここに来て下さい。
(Konsāto chiketto o kau tame ni wa koko ni kite kudasai.)
To buy a concert ticket, please come here.
As mentioned above, 来て (kite) is the te-form of the verb 来る (kuru). One of the functions of the te-form is to turn verbs into a request. Let’s see how:
Examples:
1. 来て！ かわいい猫がいるよ！
(Kite! Kawaii neko ga iru yo!)
Come here! There’s a cute cat here!
2. 来て来て！虹が出てるよ！
(Kite kite*! Niji ga deteru yo!)
Quick, come here! Come here! There’s a rainbow!
*Note: You can say “来て! (Kite!)” to someone very close to you, such as friends or family. You can also say 来て (kite) multiple times together when you are excited, worried, or anytime you want to emphasize that you want someone to come quickly.
2. Casual Expression: ここにおいで (Koko Ni Oide): Come Here
This is a casual way to say, “Come here. ” You could say おいで (oide) to tell someone to come, but usually only parents say this to their children or pets. Someone of higher status could say it to someone of lower status as well. Since this expression is casual, it is inappropriate to use it with anyone with a higher social status than you.
Examples:
1. ポチ！ おいで！
(Pochi! Oide!)
Pochi! Come here! (Pochi is their dog’s name)
2. はなちゃん、おばあちゃんが抱っこしてあげるからおいで。
(Hana-chan, obāchan ga dakko shite ageru kara oide.)
Hana, grandma will carry you, so come here.
You could replace the ここに (koko ni) with こっちに (kocchi ni) for any of these sentences. こっちに also means “here” but is more casual and natural in everyday conversations. こっちに is the casual version of こちらに (kochira ni). Since these example sentences are very casual, using こっちに would be more appropriate.
3. Rough Expression: ここ/こっちにに来い！(Koko/Kocchi Ni Koi! ): Come Here!
来い (koi) is a very rough way to tell someone to come. Using it in the wrong situation would make it sound rude. Since this is a rough expression, it is used mainly by men. It can be used casually with people you know well, like your friends. Or it could be used by someone of higher status demanding someone to come to them (like a boss and their employees or a parent to their child).
Examples:
1. 早く来い！遅刻するぞ！
(Hayaku koi! Chikoku suru zo!)
Come here right now! You’ll be late!
2. 早く来い！グズグズ**するな！
(Hayaku koi! Guzuguzu suru na!)
Come here right now! We have no time!
**Note: グズグズする (guzuguzu suru) means to take a long time to do something even if there’s not time to spare. If you are irritated at someone and want to say “Hurry up!” or “Don’t waste your time!”, you can say “グズグズしないで！ (Guzuguzu shinai de!)”. But please remember that this expression is very strong and direct and can come off rude if said to the wrong person.
3. 来いよ！公園で遊ぼうぜ！
(Koi yo! Kōen de asobō ze!)
Hey! Come here! Let’s play together in the park!
4. Rough Expression: ここ/こっちにに来なさい (Koko/Kocchi Ni Kinasai ): Come Here!
来なさい (kinasai) is used by both men and women. The nasai-form is often used by parents and teachers when talking to their children or students. This expression is often used as a command, telling someone to do something. Therefore, you would not use it in formal situations or with people with a higher social status than you.
Example:
A teacher is talking to their students:
名前を呼ばれたらここに来なさい。
(Namae o yobaretara koko ni kinasai.)
Come here when your name is called.
5. Feminine/Gentle Expression: ここ/こっちににいらっしゃい (Koko/Kocchi Ni Irasshai):
This is the gentle way to say, “come here.” It sounds feminine, so women primarily use it. However, you would not say ここにいらっしゃい (Koko ni irasshai.) to other adults if you wanted them to come to you. This is because this phrase has a child-like quality to it, like a mother telling her little child to come to her.
Examples:
1. 健史くん、こっちにいらっしゃい。お母さんがお口を拭いてあげるから。
(Takeshi-kun kocchi ni irasshai. Okāsan ga okuchi o fuite ageru kara.)
Takeshi, come here. I’ll wipe your mouth.
2. はなちゃん、ここにいらっしゃい。靴の紐が解けているからお母さんが結んであげる。
(Hana-chan koko ni irasshai. Kutsu no himo ga hodoketeiru kara okāsan ga musunde ageru.)
Han, come here. Your shoelaces are untied. Mama will tie it for you.
6. Polite Expression: お越しください (Okoshi Kudasai): Please Come (To Visit) Us
This is a polite way to ask someone to come and visit you. Businesses often use this phrase, but you can also use it in your daily conversations to be polite.
Examples:
1. 明日までこの絵を展示していますので、是非お越しください。
(Ashita/Asu made kono e o tenji shiteimasu node zehi okoshi kudasai.)
This painting will be on display until tomorrow, so please come to see it.
2. 我が家に是非お越しください。
(Wagaya ni zehi okoshi kudasai.)
Please come visit us.
7. Polite Expression: いらしてください (Irashite Kudasai): Please Come (To Visit) Us
This is another polite way (keigo – Japanese honorific langauge) to ask someone to come and visit you. It is often used by businesses to tell their customers to come again.
This expression comes from the honorofic verb いらっしゃる (irassharu), which means “to be” or “to come/go.” Changing it to the te-form adding ください (kudasai) gives you “いらっしゃってください (Irasshatte kudasai).” This is a respectful way to tell someone to “please come visit us again.”
いらっしゃってください (irasshatte kudasai)is often shortened to いらしてください (irashite kudasai) which makes it more casual.
It is better to say いらっしゃってください (Irasshatte kudasai) when speaking to people with a high social status (boss, customers, etc.)
Examples:
1. 我が家に是非いらしてください。/ いらっしゃってください。
(Wagaya ni zehi irashite kudasai.) / (irasshatte kudasai.)
Please come visit us.
2. 展示会を開催しますので、是非いらしてください。/ いらっしゃってください。
(Tenjikai o kaisai shimasu node zehi irashite kudasai.) / (irasshatte kudasai.)
We will be holding an exhibition, so please come to see it.
8. Polite Expression: お立ち寄りください (Otachiyori Kudasai): Please Come and Stop By
The nuance of this phrase is, “If you are in the neighborhood/area, please stop by.” It is rare to use this expression in business. It is more often used in people’s everyday conversations.
お立ち寄りください (Otachiyori kudasai) gives off the vibe of “stop by,” which implies a quick visit. So if you want to be extra sincere (and really want someone to come over to your place and hang out), this would not be the best phrase to use.
9. Polite Expression: おいで下さい (Oide Kudasai) (Polite): Please Come Visit
In expression #2 on this list, we said thatここに おいで (oide) is a casual phrase that you shouldn’t use with people who has a higher social status than you. However, using おいで with ください (kudasai) changes it into a polite expression asking someone to come and visit you. This expression is used when talking to people you respect or who have a high social status.
You might hear “ようこそおいでくださいました。(Yōkoso oide kudasaimashita.)” when you stay at a Japanese-style hotel or inn. This means, “Welcome. Thank you for visiting us.” It can be used as an expression of hospitality in businesses.
Examples:
1. 我が家へおいでください。
(Wagaya e oide kudasai.)
Please come visit us.
2. 是非東京へおいで下さい。
(Zehi Tōkyō e oide kudasai.)
Please come visit Tokyo.
If you want to ask someone in an even more gentle and polite way, you can also say:
おいでいただけませんか？
(Oide itadakemasen ka?)
Would you be able to come and visit us?
3. 我が家へおいでいただけませんか？
(Wagaya e oide itadakemasen ka?)
Would you be able to come and visit us?
10. Very Polite Expression: お待ちしております (Omachi Shite Orimasu): I Will Be Waiting for You
It means “I/We will be waiting for you.” This is a convenient expression because it can be used not only for people but also for things such as emails, phone calls, etc.
If you want to be super polite, you can say:
お待ち申し上げております。
(Omachi mōshiagete orimasu.)
I will (humbly) wait for you.
However, keep in mind that this phrase makes it very formal. It is used in business settings or very formal situations. It is not used in casual conversations.
Examples:
1. 隆史: 明日は１０時に伺います。
Takashi: (Asu/Ashita wa jyūji ni ukagaimasu.)
Takashi: I will visit you at 10 o’clock tomorrow.
洋子: お待ちしております。/ お待ち申し上げております。
Yōko: (Omachi shite orimasu./Omachi mōshiagete orimasu.)
Yoko: I will be waiting for you.
2. 隆史: 会議の日程が決まったら連絡して欲しいのですが。
Takashi: (Kaigi no nittei ga kimattara renraku shite hoshii no desu ga.)
Takashi: Would you be able to contact me when the schedule for the meeting is decided?
洋子: かしこまりました。決まり次第ご連絡致します。
Yōko: (Kashikomarimashita. Kimari shidai gorenraku itashimasu.)
Yoko: Ok. I will let you know as soon as it is decided.
隆史：お待ちしております。/ お待ち申し上げております。
Takashi: (Omachi shite orimasu. / Omachi mōshiagete orimasu.)
Takashi: I’ll be waiting to hear from you.
11. Polite Expression: 足を運ぶ (Ashi O Hakobu): Come All the Way
足 (ashi) means “foot or leg,” and 運ぶ (hakobu) means “to bring, to carry.” So this expression can be translated as “bringing your feet/legs somewhere. In other words, you went the extra mile to “come all this way.”
You should never use this expression to talk about yourself (i.e., “I came all this way.” It would be considered rude if you tell your boss or someone you need to respect that you made an “extra” effort to come and see them.
So be sure to use this expression only when talking about someone else.
Example:
Correct Usage: Talking About Someone Else
わざわざ足を運んでいただきありがとうございます。
(Wazawaza ashi o hakonde itadaki arigatō gozaimasu.)
Thank you for taking the trouble to come all this way. (The subject is “you” in this sentence.)
Incorrect Usage: Talking About Yourself
あなたに会うために私は足を運びました。
(Anata ni au tame ni watashi wa ashi o hakobimashita.)
I came all the way to see you. (The subject is “I” in this sentence.) – If you say this, people may think you are being sarcastic.
Using Gestures: USA Vs Japan
Do you know that the gesture for the phrase “go away” in the USA means the opposite in Japan? In the USA, putting your fingers down and waving them towards yourself signals someone to go away. However, this gesture means “come here” in Japan, as long as the gesture is made with the fingers and not the whole arm.
This is just a small thing, but it can make a big difference!
