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) |
These expressions are used to show gratitude. The standard way to express thanks in informal situations is ありがとう. To make the expression more emphatic, you can use どうもありがとう or どうもありがとうございます.
Which one should you use?
While ありがとう is the standard informal version, ありがとうございます is used to be polite to superiors, strangers or in professional settings. The word どうも serves as a very casual, shorthand way to say "thanks" among acquaintances. For a more emphatic formal expression, you can use どうもありがとうございます.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use ありがとうございます for formal or polite situations. ありがとう is used with friends and family. どうも is a casual form of "thanks", and サンキュー is a slang loanword used in very casual, trendy or youthful speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, such as Osaka and Kyoto, 大きに is a common informal way to say thank you.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are expressing gratitude for an action that has already been completed, 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?
Examples in context
- ありがとう。Thank you!This example shows 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 example 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 example shows a way to express a strong sense of gratitude using ありがとう.Tatoeba #81557 by tommy_san, translation #1564 by adjusting
- 387 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiコーヒー、ありがとう。Ko-hi-, arigatou.Thank you for the coffee.
- 健太 Kentaいいえ、どういたしまして。Iie, douitashimashite.No, you're welcome.
- 結衣 Yui健太くんは、本当に優しいね。Kenta-kun wa, hontou ni yasashii ne.You are really kind, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaそんなことないよ。Sonna koto nai yo.That's not true.
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.
