……
Breakdown of kaeru
return
帰
If you return someone to dust with your knife, you better clean up with your broom.
Usages of kaeru
家 に 帰って から、 お風呂 に 入ります。ie ni kaette kara, ofuro ni hairimasu.
I will take a bath after I return home.
彼 は 散歩して、 オフィス に 帰りました。kare wa sanposhite, ofisu ni kaerimashita.
He went for a walk and returned to the office.
学校 が 終わって から、 家 に 帰った。gakkou ga owatte kara, ie ni kaetta.
I returned home after school finished.
お帰り なさい。okaeri nasai.
Welcome home.
Literally: do return
今日 家 に 早く 帰れる か？kyou ie ni hayaku kaereru ka?
Can (I) return home early today?
ただいま 帰りました。tadaima kaerimashita.
I've returned just now.
彼女 は 母国 に 帰りたい。kanojo wa bokoku ni kaeritai.
She wants to return to her homeland.
彼 が 帰るの を 待って います。kare ga kaeruno o matte imasu.
I'm waiting for him to return.
九時 まで に 家 に 帰ります。kuji made ni ie ni kaerimasu.
I will return home by 9 o'clock.
急 が ある ので 帰ります。kyuu ga aru node kaerimasu.
I have something urgent, so I will return (home).
家 に 帰る と、 父 が いました。ie ni kaeru to, chichi ga imashita.
When I returned home, my father was there.
Test yourself: What does kaeru mean?
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“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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