教えてくれてありがとう
oshiete kurete arigatō
The English phrase "thank you for teaching me" is translated into Japanese as 教えてくれてありがとう (oshiete kurete arigatō).
This phrase is used to express gratitude to someone for providing information, instruction or directions. The underlying verb, oshieru, is versatile and covers both academic instruction and the act of simply providing information or directions.
Which one should you use?
The default form 教えてくれてありがとう is casual. For more formal expressions, you might use 先生、お教えいただきありがとうございました, お教えくださり、本当にありがとうございます。 or お導きいただき、感謝しています。 to convey gratitude for guidance and mentorship. For informal settings, you can add emphasis with 教えてくれて本当にありがとう！ or use a friendly tone with 教えてくれて感謝してるよ！
How do you pronounce it?
oshiete kurete arigatō
Did you know?
- While oshieru means 'to teach' or 'to inform', using it with a superior can be risky. In very formal contexts, telling a boss oshiete kurete arigatō can sound condescending because it implies you are evaluating their performance as a teacher.
- Japanese culture often prefers the phrase benkyō ni narimashita, meaning 'it became a study'. This shifts the focus from the teacher's action to the speaker's own growth and humility.
- The part kurete in oshiete kurete arigatō comes from the verb kureru, which specifically means 'to give' when the recipient is the speaker. This grammatical marker emphasizes the kindness of the giver's gesture.
Examples in context
- フランス語を教えてくれてありがとう。Thank you for teaching me French.This sentence is useful for expressing thanks for learning a language using the form 教えてくれてありがとう.Tatoeba #10769157 by bunbuku, translation #10769108 by CK
- 先生、お教えいただきありがとうございました。Thank you for teaching me, Sensei.
- 先生、教えてくれてありがとう！Thank you for teaching me, Sensei!
- 漢字を教えてくれてありがとう。Kanji o oshiete kurete arigatou.Thank you for teaching me kanji.
- 使いかたを教えてくれてありがとう。Tsukaikata o oshiete kurete arigatou.Thank you for teaching me how to use it.
Example conversation
Yui asks Kenta for help with a difficult math problem at school.
- 結衣 Yuiこの数学の問題、教えてくれる？Kono suugaku no mondai, oshiete kureru?Can you teach me this math problem?
- 健太 Kentaいいよ、ここがポイントだよ。Ii yo, koko ga pointo da yo.Sure, this is the key point.
- 結衣 Yuiわかった！教えてくれてありがとう。Wakatta! Oshiete kurete arigatou.I got it! Thank you for teaching me.
- 健太 Kentaどういたしまして。Dou itashimashite.You're welcome.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
