助けてくれてありがとう
tasukete kurete arigatō
In Japanese, "thank you for saving me" is expressed as 助けてくれてありがとう (tasukete kurete arigatō).
An expression of gratitude used when someone has helped you or rescued you from a difficult situation.
Which one should you use?
You can use 救ってくれてありがとう if the 'saving' was a more dramatic, heroic or literal rescue from a life-threatening event.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 助けてくれてありがとう is casual and should be used with friends, family or people of equal or lower status. For a more formal tone, you can use 助けていただき、本当にありがとうございます, which means "Thank you very much for saving me."
How do you pronounce it?
tasukete kurete arigatō
Did you know?
- In very formal Japanese, you might omit the 'thank you' part entirely and use ご恩に着きます, which implies that you now owe the person a debt of gratitude for saving you.
- If you are saved by a stranger in a professional setting, you might avoid ありがとう and instead use 助かりました, which literally means 'I was helped' or 'it was a help'.
- If you use 救って instead of 助けて, you are using a word that is often associated with religious salvation or a divine rescue. Using this to thank a friend for a small favor would sound strangely dramatic or even jokingly epic.
Examples in context
- 助けてくれてありがとう。Tasukete kurete arigatou.Thank you for saving me.
- ピンチの時に助けてくれてありがとう。Pinchi no toki ni tasukete kurete arigatou.Thank you for saving me during a crisis.
- 困っていたので、助けてくれてありがとう。Komatte ita node, tasukete kurete arigatou.I was in trouble, so thank you for saving me.
Example conversation
After a heavy rain, Misaki helped Hiroto carry a fallen tree away from his path.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さん、助けてくれてありがとう。Misaki-san, tasukete kurete arigatou.Misaki, thank you for saving me.
- 美咲 Misakiいえいえ、大丈夫でしたか？Ie ie, daijoubu deshita ka?No problem, are you okay?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、本当に助かりました。Hai, hontou ni tasukari mashita.Yes, you really saved me.
- 美咲 Misakiそれはよかったです。Sore wa yokatta desu.I'm glad to hear that.
