Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとう | arigatō | [a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː] (narrow) [a̠˨ɾi˦ɡ̃a̠˨to̞ː˨˨] (narrow) |
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | [a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥] (narrow) |
| どうもありがとう | dōmo arigatō | [do̞ːmo̞ a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː] (narrow) |
| どうも | dōmo | [do̞ːmo̞] (narrow) |
| サンキュー | sankyū | [sã̠ŋʲkʲɨː] (narrow) |
| 大きに | ōkini | [o̞ːkʲiɲ̟i] (narrow) |
The phrase is used to express gratitude. For a casual 'thanks' in everyday situations, you can use どうも. To increase the emphasis of your gratitude in an informal way, you can say どうもありがとう, which means 'thank you very much'. In very casual, youthful or playful contexts, the English loanword サンキュー is also used.
Which one should you use?
ありがとう is the informal version used with friends, family or people of lower social status. In contrast, ありがとうございます is the polite version used when speaking to strangers, superiors or in formal settings. While ありがとう is a standard casual way to say thank you, どうもありがとう adds emphasis to the gratitude in a casual manner.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal business or professional settings, you can use the expression お礼申し上げます. If you wish to convey a deeper, heartfelt sense of appreciation, use 心から感謝しています. For a very strong sense of gratitude among close friends or family, すごく感謝してる is appropriate. For general polite situations, use ありがとうございます, whereas ありがとう and どうも are for informal contexts. サンキュー is considered slang.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, such as the Osaka or Kyoto area, you may hear 大きに to mean 'thank you very much'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are thanking someone for an action that has already been completed, you should use the past tense form ありがとうございました instead of the present tense.
How do you pronounce it?
arigatō
Did you know?
- The phrase ありがとう literally translates to 'it is difficult to exist'. This is because the words were originally used to describe something so rare or precious that it was hard to find.
Examples in context
- ありがとう。Thank you!This example shows a simple way to say 'Thank you!' using ありがとう.Tatoeba #1532832 by bunbuku, translation #374827 by sysko
- 電話ありがとう。Thank you for calling.This sentence uses ありがとう to say 'Thank you for calling.'Tatoeba #3401026 by arnab, translation #64155 by CK
- 本当にありがとう。Thank you very much!This sentence uses ありがとう to express 'Thank you very much!'Tatoeba #81557 by tommy_san, translation #1564 by adjusting
- ありがとうございます、お返事いただき、ありがとうございます。Thank you, and thank you for your response as well.
- お礼申し上げます、ご厚意に感謝いたします。Thank you, I am grateful for your kindness.
- どうも、お手数をおかけして、ありがとう。Thanks a lot for the trouble.
- すごく感謝してる、あなたにも感謝してるよ。I really appreciate it, and I appreciate you too.
- 387 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hinata and Kenta are at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari健太君、コーヒーを淹れてくれてありがとう。Kenta-kun, koohii o irete kurete arigatou.Kenta, thank you for making the coffee.
- 健太 Kentaいいえ、どういたしまして。Iie, douitashimashite.No, you're welcome.
- 陽葵 Himariすごく美味しいよ。Sugoku oishii yo.It's really delicious.
- 健太 Kentaそれはよかった。Sore wa yokatta.I'm glad to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries ありがとう, ありがとうございます, どうもありがとう, どうも, サンキュー, 大きに, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ありがとう, ありがとうございます, どうも, どうもありがとう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
