Translation guide
How to express visiting someone or somewhere casually, briefly, or without prior arrangement in Japanese.
To visit someone or a place informally, often for a short time, without a formal plan.
The most common and natural way to say 'drop by' or 'stop by' in Japanese. Implies a brief, casual visit on the way to somewhere else.
I'll drop by the convenience store on my way home.
ちょっと友達の家に寄っていい？
Can I drop by my friend's house for a bit?
A slightly more formal version of 寄る, often used in written or polite speech. Still means a brief stop.
お近くにお越しの際は、ぜひお立ち寄りください。
Please feel free to drop by when you're in the area.
Literally 'show one's face'. Used when you drop by briefly to say hello, often at a social gathering or someone's place.
パーティーにちょっと顔を出すつもりだ。
I plan to drop by the party for a bit.
Adds a nuance of dropping by casually, on a whim, without any particular reason. ふらっと is an onomatopoeia for wandering in.
昨日、ふらっと実家に寄った。
Yesterday, I just dropped by my parents' house on a whim.
To visit someone without prior notice, often surprising them.
Means to visit suddenly or unexpectedly. Can be used for dropping by without warning.
彼が突然訪ねてきた。
He dropped by unexpectedly.
Literally 'go without an appointment'. Very common in casual speech for dropping by unannounced.
アポなしで行ったら、留守だった。
I dropped by without notice, but they weren't home.
Implies dropping by uninvited or barging in, sometimes with a negative connotation of intruding.
To tell someone they are welcome to visit casually.
A friendly, casual invitation to drop by anytime.
近くに来たら、いつでも寄ってね。
Drop by anytime you're in the neighborhood.
A polite way to say 'please feel free to drop by'.
どうぞお気軽に立ち寄ってください。
Please feel free to drop by.
The English phrasal verb 'drop by' doesn't have a direct word-for-word equivalent. Using 落ちる (to drop) or によって (by means of) would be incorrect. Use 寄る or 立ち寄る instead.
寄る (yoru) implies a brief, casual stop, often on the way to another destination. 訪ねる (tazuneru) means to visit with more purpose, often planned. For 'drop by', 寄る is usually more natural.
駅の近くのカフェに寄った。
I dropped by a cafe near the station.
彼のおばあさんを訪ねた。
I visited his grandmother.
友達が夜遅くに押しかけてきた。
My friend dropped by late at night (uninvited).