In this video, at 0:45, the sword-weilder shouts at his opponent "Irrashaimase!!"
I thought this is what store owners shout out when people come into their store... I'm so confused!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4GuG9Mp ... ture=feedu
Samurai says "Welcome to my store!!!". Um, what??
- chikara
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Re: Samurai says "Welcome to my store!!!". Um, what??
Irrashaimase is a polite way of saying "welcome". It is what store owners and restaurant staff shout to greet customers so in that context it is "welcome [to my store/restaurant]". In the context of that video it would be "welcome {to the battle]" or some such.
Remember context is everything.
Here are some examples.
Remember context is everything.

Here are some examples.
Don't complain to me that people kick you when you're down. It's your own fault for lying there
Re: Samurai says "Welcome to my store!!!". Um, what??
I guess I'm just so used to hearing/ seeing it used in polite contexts of welcoming that seeing it shouted before a sword swing just totally threw me off guard. Perhaps in any other politer context I could have figured it out myself, but anyway haha...
thanks.
P.S. That website looks so helpful!! I'll favourite that website!
thanks.
P.S. That website looks so helpful!! I'll favourite that website!
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Re: Samurai says "Welcome to my store!!!". Um, what??
On a note, also consider that the basic meaning (literal meaning) of いらっしゃいませ is simply "Be!"; いらっしゃる being polite for 居(い)る - and ませ is the commanding form of ます. I think this makes it a bit easier to understand why it can be used in these other situations as well.
Re: Samurai says "Welcome to my store!!!". Um, what??
And not just "be"; いらっしゃる has a number of other meanings too.
It might be that this use is 来る, as 「来い!」 would fit the situation perfectly.
I wouldn't think it unnatural for someone in combat in an anime to say 「ようこそ・・・」 or 「いらっしゃい(ませ)・・・」 as his opponent enters the battlefield, or even sneak-attack them yelling it... but in this context, with a speech preceding a strike, "welcome" seems somehow out of place...
I can't remember seeing いらっしゃいませ used to mean「来い!」 before, but...
It might be that this use is 来る, as 「来い!」 would fit the situation perfectly.
I wouldn't think it unnatural for someone in combat in an anime to say 「ようこそ・・・」 or 「いらっしゃい(ませ)・・・」 as his opponent enters the battlefield, or even sneak-attack them yelling it... but in this context, with a speech preceding a strike, "welcome" seems somehow out of place...
I can't remember seeing いらっしゃいませ used to mean「来い!」 before, but...