# おきなわにいったかえりです



## Kaato

ひさしぶり!! 
わたしはおきなわにいったかえりです。

I recently received this in an email from my Host sister in Japan. I understood the rest of the email but not these 2 lines. I understand she was staying in Okinawa on a school trip. 

Can someone translate please? thanks.


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## almostfreebird

Long time no see!
I just came back from Okinawa.


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## pvarda

Long time no see!
I just returned from Okinawa.


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## Wishfull

Long time no see!
I'm on my way home from Okinawa.


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## almostfreebird

> わたしはおきなわにいったかえりです。


Actually this sentence is ambiguous.

I just don't think she emailed him on her way home(in an airplane).

The sentence should be "私は沖縄から帰ってきたところです。"


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## Aoyama

I agree with AFB, the sentence is not only ambiguous but difficult to understand. I (for one) couldn't understand :おきなわにいったかえりです （沖縄に*行った帰りです*）. I cannot understand the structure of ...*行った帰りです*. I understand (of course) AFB's solution or this one : *行って帰えてきたんです*.
This being said : *ひさしぶり *or お*ひさしぶり　（お久しぶり）*is a common expression or greeting meaning "long time no see", "it's been a long time", "it's been ages" etc often used as a beginning of a letter or when meeting someone (even if it hasn't really been so long since you've met that person).


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## la persona

"おひさしぶり"   It's been a while.

The sentence "わたしはおきなわにいったかえりです" doesn't sound right if you are not native Japanese speakers. I believe the person who e-mailed you using her cell phone on the way home from her trip to Okinawa. So my interpretation is like "I'm just on my way home from Okinawa".


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## almostfreebird

There are three possible interpretations:

(1) She emailed Kaato in an airplane on her way from Okinawa.

(2) She might have arrived at Narita airport already and got on the bus on the way to her hometown(Saitama) when she emailed him.

(3) She might have arrived in her hometown(Saitama) and got in a car on the way to her home when she emailed him.

I know Kaato stayed in Saitama due to his previous thread.


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## almostfreebird

I think that "行った帰り" is a simplified form of "行ってきた帰りor行ってきた　その帰り", and it's become a fixed phrase like idiom.

In general the phrase is used when you talk about places not far.


Examples:

Jimmy: よう、ビリー、　顔が赤いな。　どうしたんだ。　Hi Billy, you look flushed. what happened?

Billy:　ほんと？　いやあ、飲み会に行った帰りなんだ。　Really?　well, I just came back from a drinking session.
--------------------------------

Betty: あ～　たいへん、コンビニ　行った帰り　財布ひったくられたの。Oh my God, I had my purse snatched on my way from the grocery store.

Usually you don't say ”あ～　たいへん、アメリカ　行った帰り　財布ひったくられたの。” unless you think アメリカ is kind of neighborhood you often visit.

Of course, "アメリカ屋(name of shop that sells American stuff)　行った帰り　財布ひったくられたの。" sounds natural.


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## Wishfull

I think that いった帰り　is an abbreviation of 行った帰り道.
I think it is an idiomatic, natural Japanese expression too.

今日は正装されてますね。
いやあ、結婚式に行った帰り（道）なんです。


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## Kaato

みんなさん、ありがとう！

Yes it would make sense if she was on her way home from the trip, considering that she said my friend sent regards. So i assume he was sitting near her at the time.


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