ありがとうございます
arigatō gozaimasupolite, everyday
In a Japanese email the standard way to thank someone is ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu). For something already done, use ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita). It is also called 感謝申し上げます (kansha mōshiagemasu).
Meaning: thanks written in an email (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | polite, everyday |
| ありがとうございました | arigatō gozaimashita | past, polite |
| 感謝申し上げます | kansha mōshiagemasu | very formal |
Use ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) when thanking for something ongoing or for a message you just received. Use the past form after a favor is finished.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
感謝申し上げます (kansha mōshiagemasu) is very formal and fits letters to customers or senior people. Among friends, a short ありがとう (arigatō) is enough.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Adding どうも (dōmo) alone is too casual for a business email. Keep the full polite ending ございます (gozaimasu).
Did you know?
- The long form ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) grew out of an older word meaning "difficult to exist", which became a way to say that something rare and valuable had happened.
Examples in context
- ご連絡ありがとうございます。go renraku arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you for contacting me.
- 先日はありがとうございました。senjitsu wa arigatō gozaimashita.Thank you for the other day.
- 心より感謝申し上げます。kokoro yori kansha mōshiagemasu.I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Example conversation
Ken helps his coworker Mika end an email to a client who sent her a quotation.
- Mika見積もりをいただきました。mitsumori o itadakimashita.I received the quotation.
- Kenでは、ありがとうございますと書きましょう。dewa, arigatō gozaimasu to kakimashō.Then let us write "thank you".
- Mikaはい、そうします。hai, sō shimasu.Yes, I will do that.
