ありがとうございます
arigatō gozaimasupolite
Thank you in hiragana is ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) in polite speech and ありがとう (arigatō) among friends and family. A short どうも (dōmo) works for small favors.
Meaning: thanks (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | polite |
| ありがとう | arigatō | casual |
| どうも | dōmo | short |
The reply is どういたしまして (dō itashimashite), "you are welcome", though many Japanese people answer with a bow or いいえ (iie).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use ありがとうございます with strangers, elders and customers. For extra thanks say どうもありがとうございます (dōmo arigatō gozaimasu). For something that has already happened, use ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita).
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as "ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mahss" with a long final o in ありがとう.
Did you know?
- ありがとう comes from an older word meaning "difficult to exist", and later turned into an expression of gratitude.
Examples in context
- てつだってくれてありがとう。Tetsudatte kurete arigatō.Thanks for helping me.
- ありがとうございました。Arigatō gozaimashita.Thank you for what you did.
Example conversation
Naomi gets a gift from her coworker Mr. Hara.
- Haraこれ、どうぞ。Kore, dōzo.Here, this is for you.
- Naomiありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
- Haraどういたしまして。Dō itashimashite.You are welcome.
