Dictionary / Japanese / Thank you
How to Say "Thank you" in Japanese
ありがとうございます
arigatō gozaimasu
Literally: This is hard to come by
ありがとう
thank you
ございます
(polite ending)
Polite or casual
Politeありがとうございます
Casualありがとう
Use ありがとう with friends and family. With staff, teachers, colleagues and strangers, use ありがとうございます. For something that has already finished, such as a meal or a lesson, many people say ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita).
Correct
ありがとうございます
What people say wrong
ありがとう
Thanks. Fine with friends, too casual for a shop assistant or a teacher.
The mistake to avoid. Learners often stop at ありがとう because it is the word they hear most. It is the casual form. Said to a waiter, a receptionist or someone older, it can sound offhand. Add ございます and it is polite in every situation.
In context
手伝ってくれてありがとう。
Tetsudatte kurete arigatō.
Thanks for helping me. (casual)
どうもありがとうございます。
Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you very much.
今日はありがとうございました。
Kyō wa arigatō gozaimashita.
Thank you for today.