出かけます（でかけます、dekakemasu）
- to go out

The Japanese verb 出かけます (pronounced de-kakemasu) means "to go out," "to leave," "to depart," or "to be going out." It implies a movement away from a place, usually one's home or a central location, with the intention of doing something outside. It describes a temporary exit rather than a permanent move. The focus is on the action of leaving or going, not necessarily the destination.

⚫︎友達と映画を見に出かけます。 Translation: I will go out with my friends to see a movie. ⚫︎今日は買い物に出かけますか？ Translation: Are you going out shopping today? ⚫︎雨が降っているので、傘を持って出かけましょう。 Translation: It's raining, so let's take an umbrella when we go out.

⚫︎出かけます is used when you are talking about leaving your current location to go somewhere else. ⚫︎It can be used to describe planned outings or spontaneous departures. ⚫︎It's a polite, common verb suitable for various social situations. ⚫︎You can use it to talk about your plans, someone else's plans, or to give instructions. ⚫︎The context usually clarifies the destination, but the verb focuses on the act of leaving. ⚫︎The polite form, 出かけます, is used in everyday conversation. ⚫︎To make it past tense, you change it to 出かけました (de-kakemashita). ⚫︎To make it present progressive, you would say 出かけています (dekakete imasu), meaning "I am going out" or "I am on my way out."

⚫︎The word is typically written in hiragana as でかけます. ⚫︎The kanji form is 出かけます. ⚫︎The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is always かけ. ⚫︎The kanji 出 means "to leave" or "to go out", and かけ comes from the verb かける, which means "to hang" or "to put." In this case, かける can be interpreted as "to set off."

⚫︎行く (iku): to go (general term) ⚫︎出かける (出かける) is more specific than 行く, implying leaving for a specific purpose. ⚫︎出立する (shutsu-ritsu suru): to depart, to set out (more formal)

⚫︎帰ります (kaerimasu): to return home, to go back ⚫︎入ります (hairimasu): to enter, to go in (not a direct antonym, but it is the opposite action)

週末は、公園に散歩に出かけます。 ・Translation: I will go out for a walk in the park on the weekend. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the speaker's plan to leave their current location and go to a park to walk.

もうすぐ学校に出かけなければなりません。 ・Translation: I have to leave for school soon. ・Explanation: This sentence indicates that the speaker needs to depart for school. The "なければなりません" indicates obligation.

The verb 出かけます is a compound verb. 出 (de-) means "out" or "to leave." かける (kakeru) means "to hang" or "to set out." Combining these elements gives the meaning "to go out" or "to depart." The "-masu" is a polite verb ending.