ただいま / ただいます

[phreadom]

Someone in the chat asked;

(6:27:32 AM) phreadom: ただいま～
(6:28:33 AM) Relye: Why does no one put the 'su' at the end?

And since I really couldn't give a good answer without basically guessing (by trying to explain the difference between "tada ima" and "tada imasu")... I figured it was better to ask here and see if I (we) could get a more accurate, succint, and education answer.

ありがとうございます！

[Hyperworm]

ただいま is actually ただ今 and has nothing to do with います ^^;
It's an adverb as well as a phrase, and means "just now" or "in just a moment".

Daijirin says that as a phrase it comes from an abbreviation of 「ただ今帰りました」 ("I have just now returned").

[phreadom]

Ah, thank you! I saw that it was an abbreviation, but didn't know of what.

That clears it up for me. I'll pass on the word!

[ss]

Hyperworm already answered the question.
Just want to add, as been said, 「ただいま」　is a shortened way of saying something in a longer form like ｢ただ今帰りました」。

For example, when you just came back from vacation, say Australia, you say
ただいまオーストラリア から帰りました。皆さん、お久しぶり。元気にしていますか。
I'm back from Australia. Long time no see, how are you doing?

Or you just returned from office, you say
ただいまオフィスから戻りました。
I just got back from office.

In short, just the "ただいま”

[Relye]

ありがとうございます