お母さん、ありがとう
okaasan, arigatou
The English phrase 'thank you, mother' is translated into Japanese as お母さん、ありがとう (okaasan, arigatou).
The phrase is a casual expression used when speaking directly to one's own mother in a casual setting.
Which one should you use?
While お母さん (okaasan) is used to address one's own mother, 母 (haha) is the humble term used when talking about one's mother to someone outside the family.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase お母さん、ありがとう is informal. For a more polite way to express gratitude, meaning 'Mother, thank you always', you can use お母さん、いつもありがとうございます. Other informal variations include the simple ありがとう for 'Thank you' or お母さん、いつもありがとうね to mean 'Mother, thank you always'.
How do you pronounce it?
okaasan, arigatou
Did you know?
- The word ありがとう originates from the words 有る meaning 'to exist' and 難い meaning 'difficult', literally suggesting that the kindness received is 'hard to come by'.
- While お母さん is used for one's own mother, it is also common to use this term to address any middle-aged woman or a friend's mother as a sign of friendliness and respect.
- While ありがとう is the standard for 'thank you', some Japanese speakers express gratitude to their mothers through actions, such as helping with chores, rather than using words.
Examples in context
- 母上、このたびは本当にありがとうございました。Mother, thank you very much for this time.
- お母さん、今までずっと支えてくれて本当にありがとうございます。Mother, thank you very much for supporting me all this time.
- おかん、いつもありがとう！Mom, thank you always!
- お母さん、ありがとう。Okāsan, arigatō.Thank you, mother.
- お母さん、ありがとう！プレゼント大好き。Okāsan, arigatō! Purezento daisuki.Thank you, mother! I love the present.
- お母さん、ありがとう。手料理おいしいね。Okāsan, arigatō. Te ryōri oishii ne.Thank you, mother. The home-cooked food is delicious.
Example conversation
Kenta is thanking his mother for making his favorite meal.
- 健太 Kentaお母さん、ありがとう。すごくおいしいよ。Okāsan, arigatō. Sugoku oishii yo.Thank you, mother. It's really delicious.
- 陽葵 Himariそう？よかったわ、健太。Sō? Yokatta wa, Kenta.Is that so? I'm glad, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaいつも作ってくれて感謝してるよ。Itsumo tsukutte kurete kansha shiteru yo.I'm grateful that you always make it for me.
- 陽葵 Himariふふ、嬉しいわ。Fufu, ureshii wa.Hehe, that makes me happy.
