どうもありがとうございます
dōmo arigatō gozaimasu[do̞ːmo̞ a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥]
Many thanks in Japanese is expressed as どうもありがとうございます (dōmo arigatō gozaimasu).
どうもありがとうございます is a formal and polite way to express gratitude.
Meaning: many thanks (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word どうも literally means 'very' or 'truly' in this context, ありがとう means 'thank you' and gozaimasu is a polite auxiliary verb that makes the expression formal.
Which one should you use?
Use どうもありがとうございます for formal or polite situations, whereas ありがとう alone is informal and used with friends or family. While どうも can mean 'many' in どうもありがとうございます, using どうも by itself as a way to say 'thanks' is very casual and should only be used with close acquaintances.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'many thanks' for something that has already been completed (past tense), change the ending to どうもありがとうございました.
How do you pronounce it?
dōmo arigatō gozaimasu
When do people say it?
A common polite response to どうもありがとうございます is いいえ、どういたしまして, which means 'No, you're welcome'.
Did you know?
- In high-end Japanese service culture, staff may use an even more humble form of 'many thanks' called 恐縮です which literally means 'I am shrinking with gratitude'.
- The word ありがとう comes from the phrase 有り難い, which literally means 'it is difficult for this to exist'. This implies that the thing being thanked for is a rare or precious miracle.
- When someone says どうもありがとうございます in a business setting, the response is often not 'you are welcome' but こちらこそ, which means 'it is I who should be thanking you'.
Examples in context
- お手紙を送ってくださって、どうもありがとうございます。Thank you very much for sending the letter.
- 昨夜のパーティーに招待していただき、ありがとうございました。Thank you for inviting me to last night's party.
- 映画のチケット代を払ってくれたんだって？ありがとう！I heard you paid for the movie tickets? Thank you!
- プレゼントを忘れないでくれて、どうも！Thanks for not forgetting the present!
- どうもありがとうございます。Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu.Many thanks.
- お荷物を運んでいただき、どうもありがとうございます。Onimotsu o hakonde itadaki, dōmo arigatō gozaimasu.Many thanks for carrying my luggage.
- 今日はお祝いしてくれて、どうもありがとうございます。Kyō wa oiwai shite kurete, dōmo arigatō gozaimasu.Many thanks for celebrating with me today.
Example conversation
Kenta gives a small gift to Misaki at her office.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さん、これ、プレゼントです。Misaki-san, kore, purezento desu.Misaki, this is a present for you.
- 美咲 Misakiわあ、嬉しい！どうもありがとうございます、健太さん。Wā, ureshii! Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu, Kenta-san.Wow, I'm so happy! Many thanks, Kenta.
- 健太 Kenta喜んでもらえてよかったです。Yorokonde moraete yokatta desu.I am glad you like it.
- 美咲 Misaki大切にしますね。Taisetsu ni shimasu ne.I will cherish it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry どうもありがとうございます, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
