手伝ってくれてありがとう
tetsudatte kurete arigatō
In Japanese, "thank you for helping me" is expressed as 手伝ってくれてありがとう (tetsudatte kurete arigatō).
This phrase is used to express gratitude to someone who has provided assistance. The inclusion of kurete specifically implies that the person performed the act of helping as a favor to you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tetsudatte (the te-form of the verb 'to help'), kurete (the te-form of the verb 'to give/do for me') and arigatō (thank you).
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 equal or lower social status. To make the phrase polite and suitable for use with strangers or superiors, you can add gozaimasu to the end to create 手伝ってくれてありがとうございます.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding gozaimasu to the end of the phrase makes it a polite expression.
How do you pronounce it?
tetsudatte kurete arigatō
When do people say it?
When someone says 手伝ってくれてありがとう, a standard way to respond is どういたしまして, which means "You're welcome".
Did you know?
- The word ありがとう is derived from あり難い, which literally means 'difficult to exist', reflecting the idea that the help received was a rare and precious occurrence.
- In professional settings, thanking a superior for their help often involves an apology like お忙しいところすみません meaning 'sorry for bothering you while you are busy'.
- If someone helps you in a way that feels life-changing or extremely significant, you might use tasukatta which means 'you saved me' instead of a simple thank you.
Examples in context
- 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 thanking someone for help with the form 手伝ってくれてありがとう.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.Tatoeba #11598381 by small_snow, translation #3610552 by CK
- 「手伝ってくれてありがとう」「どういたしまして」"Thank you for helping me." "Don't mention it."This sentence shows the exchange of thanks using the form 手伝ってくれてありがとう.Tatoeba #4929 by bunbuku, translation #1518 by LittleBoy
- 仕事を手伝ってくれてありがとうございますThank you for helping me with the work.
- バッグを持ってくれてありがとうThank you for carrying the bags for me.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are cleaning the room together.
- 陽太 Yotaこれで全部終わったね。手伝ってくれてありがとう。Kore de zenbu owatta ne. Tetsudatte kurete arigatou.That's everything finished. Thank you for helping me.
- 美咲 Misakiいいえ、全然大丈夫だよ。Iie, zenzen daijoubu dayo.No problem, it was totally fine.
- 陽太 Yota一人だと時間がかかったと思う。Hitori dato jikan ga kakatta to omou.I think it would have taken a long time if I were alone.
- 美咲 Misakiまた何かあったら言ってね。Mata nanika attara itte ne.Let me know if you need anything else.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
