ありがとう
arigatōcasual
To a friend, just say ありがとう (arigatō). Leave off ございます (gozaimasu), which is for people you are not close to. It is also called 助かった (tasukatta) and サンキュー (sankyū).
Meaning: expressing thanks (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとう | arigatō | casual |
| 助かった | tasukatta | casual |
| サンキュー | sankyū | casual, loanword |
Friends also say サンキュー (sankyū) from English "thank you", or 助かった (tasukatta), "you saved me".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The polite form is ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu). With a close friend it can sound like you are keeping your distance.
Did you know?
- ありがとう (arigatō) comes from the old word 有り難し (arigatashi), which meant something rare or hard to come by.
Examples in context
- 手伝ってくれてありがとう。Tetsudatte kurete arigatō.Thanks for helping me.
- 助かった、ありがとね。Tasukatta, arigato ne.You saved me, thanks.
Example conversation
Takeshi borrows an umbrella from his friend Jun on a rainy day.
- Takeshi傘ありがとう、助かった。Kasa arigatō, tasukatta.Thanks for the umbrella, you saved me.
- Junいいよ、いつでも。Ii yo, itsu demo.No problem, any time.
- Takeshiまたね。Mata ne.See you.
