Friendly to Senior
Care · Greeting
お帰りなさい！またお会いできて、本当に嬉しいです。 — Welcome back! I'm so happy to see you again. (Care · Greeting, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N3)
You
お帰りなさい！またお会いできて、本当に嬉しいです。
おかえりなさい！またおあいできて、ほんとうにうれしいです。
Welcome back! I'm so happy to see you again.
Romaji: Okaerinasai! Mata oai dekite, hontou ni ureshii desu. / Reply Romaji: Tadaima. Sabishikatta yo. Mata yoroshiku ne.
Reply
ただいま。寂しかったよ。またよろしくね。
ただいま。さびしかったよ。またよろしくね。
I'm back. I missed you. Please look after me again.
Gesture & etiquette
Approach with both arms slightly opened (welcoming posture, but no hug unless they initiate). Big warm smile. If they reach out, gently take their hand in both of yours. Make eye contact and hold for a beat longer than usual—your gladness should be visible.
Welcome back greeting after hospitalization or absence. Genuine warmth matters more than formal language. 「本当に嬉しいです」 (truly happy) expresses sincere personal feeling—appropriate when you've built rapport. Bring them up to date on facility news briefly without overwhelming. Notice and comment positively on small things: 「お顔色がよくなられましたね」.