ありがとうございます
arigatō gozaimasu[a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥]
In Japanese, a polite thank you is said as ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu).
ありがとうございます is used to say 'Thank you very much' and is the most common way to express thanks in formal situations.
Which one should you use?
While ありがとうございます is the polite version used with strangers or superiors, the shorter form ありがとう is used with friends and family. For expressing deep gratitude or thanking someone of higher status, you can use どうもありがとうございます to add an extra level of politeness.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the past tense form ありがとうございました to thank someone for something that has already been completed or for something they have already done for you.
How do you pronounce it?
arigatō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- While ありがとうございます is the standard polite form, you might hear people use すみません 'sorry' to express gratitude. This acknowledges the burden or trouble the other person went through to help you.
- Because the root of the phrase implies that a situation is rare or precious, saying ありがとうございます carries the subtext that what the person did is a rare and precious occurrence.
- If you use the past tense ありがとうございました for a continuous service, such as a waiter serving you throughout a meal, it might sound like you are saying 'thank you for everything, now please leave'.
Examples in context
- プレゼント、ありがとうございます。Purezento, arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you for the present.
- 手伝ってくれて、ありがとうございます。Tetsudatte kurete, arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you for helping me.
- いつも、ありがとうございます。Itsumo, arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you for everything you always do.
Example conversation
A student is thanking a teacher for a kind word.
- 美咲 Misakiアドバイス、ありがとうございます。Adobaisu, arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you for the advice.
- 陽太 Yotaいえいえ、どういたしまして。Iie iie, douitashimashite.No, no, you're welcome.
- 美咲 Misakiとても助かりました。Totemo tasukarimashita.It was a great help.
- 陽太 Yotaまたいつでも聞いてください。Mata itsudemo kiite kudasai.Please ask me anytime.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ありがとうございます, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
