Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとう | arigatō | [a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː] (narrow) [a̠˨ɾi˦ɡ̃a̠˨to̞ː˨˨] (narrow) |
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | [a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥] (narrow) |
| どうもありがとう | dōmo arigatō | [do̞ːmo̞ a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː] (narrow) |
| どうも | dōmo | [do̞ːmo̞] (narrow) |
| サンキュー | sankyū | [sã̠ŋʲkʲɨː] (narrow) |
| 大きに | ōkini | [o̞ːkʲiɲ̟i] (narrow) |
Which one should you use?
ありがとう is the standard way to say thank you in informal situations. ありがとうございます is the standard polite form used with strangers, superiors or in professional settings. どうもありがとう is another way to say thank you, while どうも can function as a casual 'thanks' when used alone. サンキュー is a loanword from English used in very casual, often youthful, social contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal or professional situations, use ありがとうございます or the even more polite どうもありがとうございます. Use the casual ありがとう with friends, family or people of lower social status. In very casual or youthful social contexts, you might hear the slang サンキュー. The shortened どうも is a casual and shortened version of arigatou.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, you may hear 大きに, which is a regional way to say 'thank you very much' or 'greatly'.
How do you pronounce it?
arigatō
Did you know?
Examples in context
- ありがとう。Thank you!This is a simple way to say thank you using ありがとう.Tatoeba #1532832 by bunbuku, translation #374827 by sysko
- 電話ありがとう。Thank you for calling.This shows how to say thank you for a specific action using ありがとう.Tatoeba #3401026 by arnab, translation #64155 by CK
- 本当にありがとう。Thank you very much!This is a way to express deep gratitude using ありがとう.Tatoeba #81557 by tommy_san, translation #1564 by adjusting
- 387 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki gives Youta a small gift.
- 美咲 Misakiこれ、プレゼント。Kore, purezento.This is a present.
- 陽太 Yotaわあ、ありがとう！Waa, arigatou!Wow, thank you!
- 美咲 Misaki気に入ってくれるといいな。Ki ni itte kureru to ii na.I hope you like it.
- 陽太 Yota大切にするね。Taisetsu ni suru ne.I will treasure it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries ありがとう, ありがとうございます, どうもありがとう, どうも, サンキュー, 大きに, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ありがとう, ありがとうございます, どうも, どうもありがとう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
