How to Say Thank You in Japanese

In order to figure out how to say “thank you” in Japanese, you need to first determine how polite your expression of gratitude needs to be. Some phrases are more casual, while others are more formal. There are also a few phrases that express gratitude only when used in certain situations. Here's a brief explanation of what you need to know about expressions of gratitude in Japanese.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Basic Thank You

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    Say "domo arigatou."This is a fairly standard yet casual way to say "thank you."
    • Use this expression with friends and co-workers, but avoid using it with someone who is in a position of authority over you. Also avoid using it in formal situations.
    • Pronounce domo arigatou as doh-moh ah-ree-gah-toh.
    • In its non-romanized form, write どうもありがとう.[1]
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    Shorten it to "arigatou." arigatou is a pretty casual way of saying "thank you."
    • You can use this phrase with friends and family members. But someone with a higher status, for example a supervisor or teacher, should be treated with more respect.
    • Pronounce arigatou as ah-ree-gah-toh.
    • In its non-romanized form, write arigatou as ありがとう.[2]
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    Shorten it to "domo." Domo is more casual than arigatou.
    • On its own, domo means "very much," but it is understood to mean "thank you" depending on the context of the conversation.
    • You cannot use this in polite contexts. If you need to be polite to someone, you should opt for a more formal phrase.
    • Pronounce domo as dough-moh.
    • In its non-romanized form, write どうも.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Formal Alternatives

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    State "arigatou gozaimasu."[3] This phrase essentially means "thank you very much."
    • You can use arigatou gozaimasu with people who have a higher status than you, including supervisors, family elders, teachers, and strangers or acquaintances who appear older or higher in rank than you.
    • You can also use this phrase to express formal or heartfelt gratitude to someone close to you.
    • Pronounce arigatou gozaimasu as ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-　mas.
    • In its non-romanized form, write ありがとうございます.
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    2
    Switch to "domo arigatou gozaimasu." This is even more polite way of saying "thank you very much."
    • Use this phrase with those who have a higher status or in formal circumstances. You can also use the phrase to express sincerity with someone familiar.
    • Pronounce the phrase as dough-moh ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mas.'
    • In its non-romanized form, write domo arigatou gozaimasu as どうもございまずいます.
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    3
    Express thanks in the past tense as "arigatou gozaimashita."[4] If someone has done something for you in the recent past, make the phrase past tense by changing the -u ending of gozaimasu to -ita.
    • Pronounce the phrase as ah-ree-gah-toh go-za-ee-ma-shi-tah.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Circumstance-Specific Phrases

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    Use "gochisou sama deshita" after a meal. If a host serves you dinner or if someone treats you to meal, you should use this phrase at the end of the meal to express gratitude.
    • Note that at the beginning of a meal, you would say "itadakimasu" instead.
    • Pronounce this phrase as goh-chee-sou sah-mah deh-shee-tah.
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    2
    At the end of a work day, say "o-tsukaresama deshita." It essentially means something along the lines of "thank you for your hard work.""
    • The implication is that the listener has worked hard and deserves to rest. The phrase is polite and shows gratitude for that person's hard work.
    • Pronounce this saying as oh-tsoo-kah-reh-sah-mah desu.
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    3
    In Osaka, say "ookini." This is not standard Japanese. Instead, this form of saying "thank you" is only found in areas near/aroun Osaka.
    • Ookini can mean "thank you."It can be used at the end of a sentence to smooth relations, or it can be used on its own to show appreciation to someone close.
    • The term was originally a way of indicating quantity and was used with arigatou as ookini arigatou. Over time; however, the phrase was shortened to ookini.
    • Pronounce ookini as oh-kee-nee.
    • In non-romanized format, write it out as おおきに.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Responses

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    Reply with "dou itashi mashite." In both casual and polite contexts, this phrase is used in response to thanks. It essentially has the same meaning as "you're welcome."
    • Pronounce the saying as doh ee-tah-shee mah-she-teh.
    • In non-romanized form, write the phrase out as どういたしまして。
    • Informally, instead of "dough itashimashite", you can say "iie", pronounced "e-yeh" written いいえ, which literally just means "no." By doing so, you are just telling the person who helped you "it was nothing,' or "No thank you."

Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do you pronounce haiku? Hike-you or high-eek? Or something completely different?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Haiku is pronounced HIGH-KOO.
  • Question
    How do I say 'nothing' in Japanese?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The easiest way that you can say nothing is "nani mo," meaning literally "nothing".
  • Question
    How do you say Happy Birthday in Japanese?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    In Japanese, you say "o tanjobi omedeto" (the "o"s are long), meaning "happy birthday", add a "gozaimasu" at the end to be polite. You could also simply say "omedetoo" (congratulations) or "I congratulate you." It is the same in "Happy New Year" which is "akeshimashite omedeto."
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References

  1. ↑ http://mylanguages.org/japanese_phrases.php
  2. ↑ http://www.linguanaut.com/english_japanese.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.planettokyo.com/japan/language/japanese-101/
  4. ↑ http://www.iheartjapan.ca/2009/06/how-to-say-thank-you-in-japanese/

About This Article

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57 votes - 90%
Co-authors: 23
Updated: January 22, 2023
Views: 1,129,038
Categories: Japanese
Article SummaryX

To say “thank you” in Japanese, use “Domo arigatou” if you’re with friends or co-workers. You can also shorten the expression to “Arigatou” with family and friends. If you’re speaking to a supervisor, teacher, family elder, or someone who has a higher status than you, use the formal phrase, “Arigatou gozaimasu.” Alternatively, use “Domo arigatou gozaimasu” to express gratitude in the most polite and formal way possible. To learn more, including how to say “You’re welcome” in Japanese, scroll down.

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