Polite to Colleague
Workplace · Greeting
ただいま戻りました。お留守番ありがとうございました。 — I've just returned. Thank you for holding down the fort while I was away. (Workplace · Greeting, Polite to Colleague, JLPT N3)
You
ただいま戻りました。お留守番ありがとうございました。
ただいまもどりました。おるすばんありがとうございました。
I've just returned. Thank you for holding down the fort while I was away.
Romaji: Tadaima modorimashita. Orusuban arigatō gozaimashita. / Reply Romaji: Okaeri nasai. Otsukaresama deshita.
Reply
おかえりなさい。お疲れ様でした。
おかえりなさい。おつかれさまでした。
Welcome back. Good work out there.
Gesture & etiquette
Bow slightly (about 15 degrees) to your colleagues as a whole group. If bringing back local sweets (お土産, omiyage), this is the ideal moment to present them — a highly valued gesture in Japanese workplace culture.
Returning from a business trip or absence requires greeting colleagues with explicit thanks. 「お留守番ありがとう」literally means 'thank you for watching the house' — it acknowledges the extra work colleagues handled and maintains team harmony.