ありがとう
arigatō[a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː]
arigato is the Japanese phrase for "thank you".
arigato is used in the context of, or to evoke, Japanese culture.
Meaning: “thank you”, used in the context of, or to evoke, Japanese culture (intj)
Which one should you use?
arigatō is the casual version used with friends, family or people of lower social status. For more emphasis in formal settings, you can use Domo arigato gozaimasu to convey even more gratitude.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, okini or ookini is commonly used instead of arigato.
How does it change in a sentence?
To thank someone for an action or event that has already been completed, use the past tense form arigatō gozaimashita.
How do you pronounce it?
arigatō
Did you know?
- Originally, arigatō did not mean 'thank you' but rather 'difficult to exist'. It evolved from describing something rare or special to expressing gratitude for that rarity.
- The word arigatō shares a common ancestor with the greeting ohayō (good morning) and the congratulatory omedetō (congratulations). All three words are unusual because they retain an ancient '-u' ending that most other Japanese words abandoned centuries ago.
- If you want to describe a stroke of good luck or a blessing, you should use the related adjective arigatai. This describes something as 'welcome' precisely because it is 'hard to come by', staying true to the phrase's original roots.
Examples in context
- いつもありがとう。Itsumo arigato.Thank you for everything.
- プレゼント、ありがとう！Purezento, arigato!Thank you for the present!
- 手伝ってくれてありがとう。Tetsudatte kurete arigato.Thank you for helping me.
Example conversation
Kenta gives a small gift to Himari.
- 健太 Kentaこれ、陽葵に。Kore, Himari ni.This is for you, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himariわあ、ありがとう！Waa, arigato!Wow, thank you!
- 健太 Kenta喜んでもらえて嬉しいよ。Yorokonde moraete ureshii yo.I'm happy you like it.
- 陽葵 Himari大切にするね。Taisetsu ni suru ne.I will cherish it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “arigato” translations and entries ありがとう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ありがとう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
