What does it mean word for word?
The word kurete means "giving (to me)", indicating that the person performed the action of helping as a favor for the speaker.
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 casual and should be used with friends, family or peers. For a more polite or formal version, such as when speaking to a superior or in a professional setting, use 手伝っていただきありがとうございます. In very casual situations, you might simply use ありがとう for "thank you". To express deep gratitude while acknowledging someone's continuous care and support, you can use お世話になりました.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some areas of western Japan, such as Osaka, people often use どうも as a casual way to say thank you.
How does it change in a sentence?
The te-form of the verb combined with kurete functions here to express the reason for the gratitude, meaning "because you helped" or "for helping".
How do you pronounce it?
tetsudatte kurete arigatō
When do people say it?
The standard response to this expression of gratitude is どういたしまして, which means "You're welcome" or "Don't mention it".
Did you know?
- The word ありがとう originates from ありがたい, which originally described something as being 'difficult to exist' or 'rare', implying that the help received was a precious rarity.
- In professional environments, people sometimes apologize while thanking someone for their help, using すみません to acknowledge that they caused the other person trouble.
- While どういたしまして is the textbook response to ありがとう, Japanese speakers often avoid it in formal settings because it can imply that the favor was indeed something to be thanked for.
Examples in context
- 手伝ってくれてありがとう。Thank you for your help.Tatoeba #4478287 by tommy_san, translation #462516 by lukaszpp
- 「手伝ってくれてありがとう」「どういたしまして」"Thank you for your help." "It's my pleasure."This example shows a dialogue where one person says "Thank you for your help" and the other responds with "It's my pleasure" using どういたしまして.Tatoeba #4929 by bunbuku, translation #73637 by CK
- 荷物を運ぶのを手伝ってくれてありがとう。Nimotsu o hakobu no o tetsudatte kurete arigatou.Thank you for helping me carry the luggage.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a cafe, Yui thanks Hiroto for helping her clean up.
- 結衣 Yui結衣：片付けを手伝ってくれてありがとう。Katazuke o tetsudatte kurete arigatou.Thank you for helping me tidy up.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔：いいよ、全然大丈夫。Ii yo, zenzen daijoubu.It's okay, no problem at all.
- 結衣 Yui結衣：本当に助かったよ。Hontou ni tasukatta yo.You really helped me out.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔：また何かあったら言って。Mata nani ka attara itte.Let me know if you need anything else.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
