ame ga huranai uti ni, ie ni kaerimasu.

Here, うちに means something like while it is still the case that... or before ... happens.

So 雨が降らないうちに literally feels like:

• while it is still not raining
• before it starts raining

In natural English, this is often translated as:

• before it rains
• before the rain starts

This pattern is very common:

• Verbない + うちに = before that verb happens

So:

• 忘れないうちに = before I forget
• 暗くならないうちに = before it gets dark
• 雨が降らないうちに = before it rains

Because grammar patterns like うちに usually attach to the plain form of a verb, not the polite ます form.

So:

• dictionary form: 降る
• plain negative: 降らない
• polite negative: 降りません

In this sentence, the part before うちに uses the plain form:

• 降らないうちに

But the main sentence ends politely:

• 帰ります

This kind of mix is completely normal in Japanese:

• subordinate clause: plain form
• sentence ending: polite form

In うちに, the に helps mark the time frame or point during which the main action happens.

So 雨が降らないうちに、家に帰ります means:

• I will go home during the time when it is still not raining
• I will go home before the situation changes

You can think of うち as referring to a span or period, and に marks when the main action takes place within that span.

Also, うちに is a fixed grammar pattern, so it is best learned as one unit.

Both can mean I’ll go home before it rains, but the nuance is a little different.

雨が降る前に

• straightforward and neutral
• simply says one action happens before another

雨が降らないうちに

• emphasizes while it is still not raining
• often suggests taking the chance to do something before conditions change
• can feel slightly more situational or time-sensitive

So:

• 雨が降る前に = before it rains
• 雨が降らないうちに = while it’s still not raining / before it starts raining

In many contexts, both are natural.

が marks 雨 as the subject of 降る.

So:

• 雨が降る = rain falls / it rains

Using が is the normal choice when you are simply describing the event of rain falling.

If you used は, it would give more of a contrast or topic feeling, such as:

• as for rain...
• when it comes to rain...

That is possible in some contexts, but here 雨が降らないうちに is the most natural way to say it.

Because 帰る means to return or to go back, and the place you return to is commonly marked with に.

So:

• 家に帰る = go home
• 学校に帰る = return to school
• 国に帰る = return to one’s country

The に marks the destination.

You can also sometimes use へ with 帰る, but に is very common.

In Japanese, the non-past form covers both:

• present
• future

So 帰ります can mean:

• I go home
• I will go home

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, because of before it rains, the meaning is naturally future:

• I’ll go home before it rains

This is a very common difference between Japanese and English.

Yes, that is close to the literal structure.

Breaking it down:

• 雨が = rain
• 降らない = does not fall
• うちに = while it is still the case / before the situation changes

So the literal feeling is:

• while rain is not falling
• while it still hasn’t started raining

But in natural English, you would usually say:

• before it rains
• before the rain starts

No. Even though うち can sometimes mean home in other contexts, that is not what it means here.

In this sentence:

• うちに is a grammar expression
• it means while or before

So do not connect this うち with 家 in this sentence.

That is why the sentence has both:

• うちに = before / while still
• 家に = to home

They are completely different here.

Yes, if the context already makes it clear what is not falling.

Japanese often omits information that is understood. So in conversation, if everyone already knows you are talking about rain, 降らないうちに could be enough.

But including 雨が makes the sentence clearer and more complete, especially for learners.

Yes. Both are natural.

• 家に帰ります
• 家へ帰ります

The difference is small:

• に focuses more on the destination
• へ focuses more on the direction toward it

With 帰る, both are common, but 家に帰る is probably the more basic form many learners see first.

The comma separates the time clause from the main clause:

• 雨が降らないうちに、 = before it rains
• 家に帰ります。 = I’ll go home

It is like a pause in English after a beginning clause:

• Before it rains, I’ll go home.

Japanese commas are often flexible, so the sentence could sometimes be written without one, but the comma is very natural here.

A natural reading is:

あめ が ふらない うち に、いえ に かえります。

A few notes:

• 雨 = あめ
• 降らない = ふらない
• 家 here is いえ
• 帰ります = かえります

So the full sentence is:

あめがふらないうちに、いえにかえります。