What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of go (an honorific prefix), shinsetsu (kindness), ni (a particle indicating the reason or manner) and arigatō gozaimasu (thank you).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ご親切にありがとうございます is a formal and polite way to express gratitude due to the use of the honorific prefix go and the polite verb ending gozaimasu. In casual conversations, you may use the shortened form ありがとう. In professional settings, to express appreciation for ongoing kindness and support, you might use お世話になります.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, people often say おおきに as a casual way of saying thank you.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle に functions to connect the noun shinsetsu (kindness) to the expression of gratitude, indicating the reason for the thanks: "for your kindness".
How do you pronounce it?
goshinsetsu ni arigatō gozaimasu
What mistakes should you avoid?
In certain contexts, the phrase すみませんが can convey a sense of "thank you" by meaning "excuse me" or "sorry".
Did you know?
- When receiving a great kindness, a person might use the phrase 恐縮です ('kyōshuku desu'), which literally implies they are so grateful they feel 'shrunken' or crushed by the other person's generosity.
- While ありがとうございます is the standard thank you, the word arigato comes from arigatai, which literally means 'it is difficult to be', referring to how rare and precious a kind act is.
- The word shinsetsu (kindness) is composed of the characters for 'close' and 'deep', suggesting that true kindness is an intimacy that reaches the heart.
Example conversation
Yui drops her bag and Hiroto helps her pick up the items.
- 結衣 Yuiあ、ありがとうございます！A, arigatou gozaimasu!Oh, thank you very much!
- 大翔 Hirotoいいえ、気にしないでください。Iie, ki ni shinaide kudasai.No problem, please don't worry about it.
- 結衣 Yui本当に、ご親切にありがとうございます。Hontou ni, go-shinsetsu ni arigatou gozaimasu.Truly, thank you for your kindness.
- 大翔 Hirotoどういたしまして。Dou itashimashite.You are very welcome.
