How to Say “Welcome home” in Chinese
Greetings and politeness · HSK 2
"Welcome home" in Chinese is 欢迎回家 (huān yíng huí jiā). Interesting cultural note: Chinese families rarely say the full 欢迎回家 to each other at the door; it sounds too formal, like a hotel greeting. The everyday response when someone walks in announcing 我回来了 is simply 回来啦 (the 啦 is a softer, warmer version of 了).
Primary translation
欢迎回家
huān yíng huí jiā
Traditional: 歡迎回家
Variants by register
Formal
欢迎回家
huān yíng huí jiā
Casual
回来啦
huí lái la
When to use it
Interesting cultural note: Chinese families rarely say the full 欢迎回家 to each other at the door; it sounds too formal, like a hotel greeting. The everyday response when someone walks in announcing 我回来了 is simply 回来啦 (the 啦 is a softer, warmer version of 了). You'll see 欢迎回家 on billboards welcoming overseas Chinese, at airports, or when a family member returns from a long absence abroad. For daily use, 回来啦 is what you want.
Example sentences
欢迎回家，孩子！
Huān yíng huí jiā, háizi!
Welcome home, child!
回来啦，快洗手吃饭。
Huí lái la, kuài xǐ shǒu chī fàn.
You're back; go wash your hands, dinner's ready.
欢迎回家，一路辛苦了。
Huān yíng huí jiā, yí lù xīn kǔ le.
Welcome home; the journey must have been tiring.