助けてくれてありがとう
tasukete kurete arigatō
In Japanese, "I appreciate your help" is expressed as 助けてくれてありがとう (tasukete kurete arigatō).
This phrase is used specifically to thank someone for the assistance they have provided. While a general ありがとう means "thank you," adding 助けてくれて focuses the gratitude on the act of being helped.
Which one should you use?
While ありがとう is a general way to say "thank you," the phrase 助けてくれてありがとう specifically targets the assistance the person provided.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 助けてくれてありがとう is informal and should be used with friends, family or people of lower social status. For more formal settings, you might use ありがとうございます to say "thank you" or 助かりました which translates to "I was saved" as a formal way of thanking someone. In professional contexts, the expression お手伝いいただき、ありがとうございます can be used, where お手伝いいただき means "receiving the favor of help."
How do you pronounce it?
tasukete kurete arigatō
Did you know?
- To express a very high level of appreciation for help in a business setting, speakers may use 恐縮です (kyōshuku desu), which implies that they feel 'shrunk' or 'compressed' by the weight of the other person's kindness.
- While 助けてくれてありがとう is used for help, the verb 助ける also means 'to rescue'. In emergencies, the same root is used to shout 'Help me!' as 助けて! (tasukete).
- In Japan, saying ありがとう too many times to a superior can actually feel burdensome, as it may remind them of the effort they spent helping you.
Examples in context
- お手伝いいただき、ありがとうございます。Thank you for your help.
- お力添え、本当に助かりました。Your assistance was truly helpful.
- 手伝ってくれて、ありがとう。Thank you for helping me.
- 助けてくれて、本当に助かった。Thanks for helping me, I really appreciate it.
- 鈴木さん、助かりました。Thank you for your help, Mr. Suzuki.
- 荷物を運ぶのを助けてくれてありがとう。Nimotsu o hakobu no o tasukete kurete arigatou.Thank you for helping me carry the luggage.
- 道に迷った時に助けてくれてありがとう。Michi ni mayotta toki ni tasukete kurete arigatou.Thank you for helping me when I was lost.
Example conversation
陽太 helps 陽葵 move a heavy table in the living room.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太、重いテーブルを運ぶのを助けてくれてありがとう。Hinata, omoi teeburu o hakobu no o tasukete kurete arigatou.Hinata, thank you for helping me carry the heavy table.
- 陽太 Yotaいいよ、力になれてよかった。Ii yo, chikara ni narete yokatta.No problem, I'm glad I could help.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に助かったよ。Hontou ni tasukatta yo.It really helped me out.
- 陽太 Yotaまた何かあったら言ってね。Mata nanika attara itte ne.Let me know if you need anything else.
