どういたしまして
dōitashimashite
In Japanese, 'it was nothing' is said as どういたしまして (dōitashimashite).
This phrase is a polite response used to tell someone that a favor or a kind act was not a problem. In casual settings, Japanese speakers often use いえいえ (ie ie), which literally means 'no, no,' to dismiss a thank-you more naturally than this textbook phrase. Other casual expressions include いやいや (no, no or oh, not at all) and うん、別に (no, nothing special or nothing in particular).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb どう (dō, 'how') and the polite verb いたしまして (itashimashite, 'did/done').
Which one should you use?
If you want to sound more humble or emphasize that the favor was truly no trouble at all, use とんでもないです (tondemonai desu) instead of どういたしまして.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While standard, どういたしまして can sometimes feel overly formal or even slightly stiff in casual conversation with close friends.
How do you pronounce it?
dōitashimashite
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often over-rely on どういたしまして because it is taught in textbooks, but using it to a superior can sometimes sound slightly patronizing or too detached.
Did you know?
- The phrase とんでもないです (tondemonai desu) is used for extreme humility and can literally mean 'absurd' or 'out of the question' in other contexts.
- In very casual speech, the 'no, no' of いえいえ is often delivered with a rapid, rhythmic head shake or a small wave of the hand in front of the face.
- When responding to a thank you, Japanese speakers often use the word いえ (ie), meaning 'no', to symbolically deny that they did anything worthy of praise.
Examples in context
- いえ、どういたしまして。ie, douitashimashite.No, it was nothing.
- そんな、どういたしまして。sonna, douitashimashite.Oh, don't mention it.
Example conversation
Ren helps Misaki carry a heavy bag.
- 美咲 Misaki荷物を運んでくれてありがとう！Nimotsu o hakonde kurete arigato!Thank you for carrying my bags!
- 蓮 Renどういたしまして。Douitashimashite.It was nothing.
- 美咲 Misaki本当に助かったわ。Hontou ni tasukatta wa.You really helped me out.
- 蓮 Ren気にしないでください。Ki ni shinaide kudasai.Please don't worry about it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry どういたしまして, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
