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) |
The various forms of this expression are used to show gratitude. You can use highly polite versions for formal settings, casual versions for friends or even slang and regional dialects.
Which one should you use?
Adding どうも to ありがとう (as in どうもありがとう) increases the emphasis of your gratitude, similar to saying 'many thanks'. While ありがとう is a standard way to say thank you, どうも is a very casual, shortened version often used for quick daily interactions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For superiors, strangers or professional settings, use the polite form ありがとうございます. For friends, family or people of lower social status, use the informal ありがとう. For very casual and youthful speech, you can use the slang term サンキュー, which is the katakana transliteration of the English 'thank you'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect (such as in Osaka or Kyoto), the phrase 大きに is used to express 'thank you very much'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To thank someone for an action or event that has already been completed, you should use the past tense form ありがとうございました.
How do you pronounce it?
arigatō
Did you know?
- The word ありがとう is actually a way of saying that something is 'hard to exist'. It stems from a phrase meaning 'rare' or 'difficult to be', implying that the favor received is a rare and precious thing.
- You can still use the adjective form ありがたい to mean 'welcome' or 'a blessing' in a non-thankful context, such as saying 'this weather is welcome' (この天気はありがたいね).
Examples in context
- ありがとう。Thank you!This sentence shows a basic 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 sentence uses ありがとう to thank someone for a specific action, in this case, calling.Tatoeba #3401026 by arnab, translation #64155 by CK
- 本当にありがとう。Thank you very much!This sentence uses ありがとう to express strong gratitude.Tatoeba #81557 by tommy_san, translation #1564 by adjusting
- 387 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Himari gives Yota a small gift.
- 陽葵 Himariこれ、プレゼントだよ。Kore, purezento da yo.This is a present for you.
- 陽太 Yotaわあ、ありがとう！Waa, arigatou!Wow, thank you!
- 陽葵 Himari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すごく嬉しいよ。Sugoku ureshii yo.I am so happy.
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.
