サンキュー
sankyūkatakana, casual
In katakana, "thank you" is サンキュー (sankyū), the English loanword used casually among friends. The native word can also be written アリガトウ (arigatō) for style.
Meaning: thank you, loanword (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| サンキュー | sankyū | katakana, casual |
| アリガトウ | arigatō | katakana, stylized |
サンキュー is playful and casual. It fits friends and young people, not teachers or bosses.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal situations, use ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) instead.
When do people say it?
Japanese speakers also play with the numbers 3 and 9, read さん (san) and きゅう (kyū), to write 39 for "thank you".
Did you know?
- Writing 39 as "thank you" is a common wordplay on さんきゅう, seen on signs and messages.
Examples in context
- サンキュー、たすかったよ。Sankyū, tasukatta yo.Thanks, you saved me.
- サンキュー、またね。Sankyū, mata ne.Thanks, see you.
- アリガトウ！Arigatō!Thank you!
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe, where Kenji hands back a borrowed book.
- Kenjiこのほん、ありがとう。Kono hon, arigatō.Thanks for this book.
- Shoどうだった？Dō datta?How was it?
- Kenjiおもしろかった。サンキュー！Omoshirokatta. Sankyū!It was fun. Thanks!
