友達でいてくれてありがとう
Tomodachi de ite kurete arigatō
To say thank you for being my friend in Japanese, use 友達でいてくれてありがとう (Tomodachi de ite kurete arigatō).
友達でいてくれてありがとう tells someone you appreciate their friendship. It is often said at emotional milestones such as graduation or moving away.
What does it mean word for word?
友達 (tomodachi) means friend, でいて (de ite) means being in that state, くれて (kurete) shows it is done for your benefit and ありがとう (arigatō) means thank you.
Which one should you use?
A warmer casual variant is 本当に友達でよかった！感謝してるよ！, I'm really glad you're my friend, I appreciate you. A more formal one is お友達でいてくれて本当に感謝しています, I truly appreciate you being my friend.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
友達でいてくれてありがとう is casual and suits friends and peers. Adding ございます gives the polite 友達でいてくれてありがとうございます.
How does it change in a sentence?
ite is the te-form of iru, to be and kurete is the te-form of kureru, to do for someone. Together they thank someone for an ongoing state that benefits you.
How do you pronounce it?
It is read Tomodachi de ite kurete arigatō.
Did you know?
- The word ありがとう comes from the archaic 有り難い, which literally means 'it is difficult for this to exist', implying that the kindness received is a rare miracle.
- In Japan, expressing deep gratitude for a friendship verbally can sometimes be seen as too heavy or 'too much' for daily life, so these phrases are often written in letters or cards instead.
- While 友達 means 'friend', Japanese speakers often avoid using this specific word when addressing a friend directly, preferring names or nicknames to avoid sounding overly formal or distant.
Examples in context
- ずっと友達でいてくれてありがとう。Zutto tomodachi de itekurete arigatou.Thank you for being my friend for a long time.
- 私の友達でいてくれてありがとう。Watashi no tomodachi de itekurete arigatou.Thank you for being my friend.
- いつも友達でいてくれてありがとう。Itsumo tomodachi de itekurete arigatou.Thank you for always being my friend.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking during a graduation ceremony.
- 美咲 Misaki卒業、寂しくなるね。Sotsugyou, sabishiku naru ne.Graduation makes me feel lonely.
- 陽太 Yotaそうだね。でも、また会えるよ。Sou da ne. Demo, mata aeru yo.That's true. But we can meet again.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太、友達でいてくれてありがとう。Youta, tomodachi de itekurete arigatou.Youta, thank you for being my friend.
- 陽太 Yotaこちらこそ、ありがとう。Kochira koso, arigatou.Thank you, too.
