ありがとう
arigatōcasual
ありがとう (arigatō) is the Japanese word for "thank you". Use ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) with people you should treat politely. It is also called どうもありがとうございます (dōmo arigatō gozaimasu) and ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita).
Meaning: thank you (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとう | arigatō | casual |
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | polite |
| どうもありがとうございます | dōmo arigatō gozaimasu | very polite |
| ありがとうございました | arigatō gozaimashita | for something finished |
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The short ありがとう (arigatō) is for friends, family and children. Adding ございます (gozaimasu) makes it polite, and どうも (dōmo) in front adds "very much".
How does it change in a sentence?
To thank someone for something that has already happened, use the past form ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita), for example after a meal or a finished visit.
How do you pronounce it?
The macron in arigatō shows a long o, which is held for two beats: a-ri-ga-too.
Did you know?
- The word comes from 有り難い (arigatai), which once meant "difficult to exist", that is, rare and precious.
Examples in context
- ありがとうarigatōThanks
- 手伝ってくれてありがとうtetsudatte kurete arigatōThanks for helping me
- ありがとうございましたarigatō gozaimashitaThank you very much (for what you did)
Example conversation
Yui gets a pen from her classmate Ken, then thanks the teacher Mr. Sato after class.
- Kenはい、ペンどうぞ。hai, pen dōzo.Here, take the pen.
- Yuiありがとう、ケン。arigatō, Ken.Thanks, Ken.
- Yui先生、ありがとうございました。sensei, arigatō gozaimashita.Teacher, thank you very much.
