Which one should you use?
Arigatou gozaimasu is the common, versatile formal thank you. Doumo arigatou gozaimasu adds emphasis for deeper appreciation, and Arigatou gozaimashita thanks someone for something already done. Doumo on its own is a casual thanks among close friends or people of a similar age.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ありがとう is casual and suits friends, family or people of lower social status. With superiors, strangers or in formal settings, use the polite ありがとうございます.
How does it change in a sentence?
To thank someone for an object or noun, put the particle を right after the noun and before ありがとう, following the pattern 〜をありがとう. To thank someone for an action, use the te form of a verb followed by くれてありがとう, as in the pattern 〜てくれてありがとう.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced arigatō, with a long o at the end.
When do people say it?
A common reply to thanks is いいえ, which literally means no, used to say that no thanks are needed.
Did you know?
- The word ありがとう literally translates to 'difficult to exist' or 'hard to be'. It evolved from the idea that the thing you are thankful for is so rare and special that it is difficult to find.
- The word arigatai can still be used to mean 'welcome' or 'a blessing' in a non-social sense. For example, one might say 'this weather is arigatai' to mean the weather is a rare and welcome gift.
Examples in context
- ご協力いただきありがとうございます。Thank you very much for your cooperation.
- このプレゼント、ありがとう！Thank you for this gift!
- いいよ！気に入ってくれて何より。No problem! I'm glad you like it.
- プレゼントを、ありがとう。Purezento o, arigatou.Thank you for the present.
- 手伝ってくれて、ありがとう。Tetsudatte kurete, arigatou.Thank you for helping me.
- 教えてくれて、ありがとう。Oshiete kurete, arigatou.Thank you for telling me.
Example conversation
Misaki gives Yota a delicious snack.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太、これ食べて。Youta, kore tabete.Yota, eat this.
- 陽太 Yotaおいしい！美咲、ありがとう。Oishii! Misaki, arigatou.It's delicious! Thank you, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiよかった！Yokatta!I'm glad!
- 陽太 Yotaまた持ってきてね。Mata motte kite ne.Please bring it again.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ありがとう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ありがとう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
