What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tetsudatte (the te-form of 'to help'), kurete (the te-form of 'to give to me') and arigatō (thank you).
Which one should you use?
While 手伝ってくれてありがとう implies helping with a task or chore, the similar-sounding 助けてくれてありがとう implies helping someone out of a difficult or dangerous situation (saving/rescuing).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 手伝ってくれてありがとう is informal and should be used with friends, family or people of lower social status. To make the phrase polite and suitable for use with teachers, bosses or strangers, add gozaimasu to the end to form 手伝ってくれてありがとうございます. For a formal way to convey a profound sense of appreciation, you can use 感謝します (Kansha shimasu).
How does it change in a sentence?
The kurete part of the phrase specifically indicates that the person performed the action of helping for the speaker's benefit.
How do you pronounce it?
tetsudatte kurete arigatō
Did you know?
- In some contexts, Japanese speakers avoid ありがとう and instead say すみません (sumimasen), which means 'excuse me' or 'sorry', to thank someone for helping.
- The word ありがとう originates from an adjective meaning 'it is difficult for this to be', implying that the help received was a rare and precious occurrence.
- In a professional setting, a Japanese person might respond to this thanks by saying いえいえ (ie ie), which literally means 'no no' to humbly deny that their help was significant.
Examples in context
- 手伝ってくれてありがとう。Thank you for helping us.This sentence is useful for expressing thanks for general help.Tatoeba #4478287 by tommy_san, translation #7463910 by CK
- 宿題手伝ってくれてありがとう。Thank you for helping me with my homework.This sentence is useful for expressing thanks for help with homework.Tatoeba #3610563 by tommy_san, translation #662140 by CK
- 履歴書を書くの手伝ってくれてありがとう。Thank you for helping me write my resume.This sentence is useful for expressing thanks for help with writing a resume.Tatoeba #11598381 by small_snow, translation #3610552 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are cleaning the room together.
- 美咲 Misakiもう全部片付いたね。手伝ってくれてありがとう。Mō zenbu katazuita ne. Tetsudatte kurete arigatō.Everything is cleaned up now. Thank you for helping.
- 陽太 Yotaいいえ、全然大丈夫だよ。Iie, zenzen daijōbu dayo.No problem, it was totally fine.
- 美咲 Misaki助かったよ、陽太くん。Tasukatta yo, Yōta-kun.You really helped me out, Yota.
- 陽太 Yotaまたいつでも言ってね。Mata itsudemo itte ne.Just let me know anytime.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
