Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| どうもありがとうございました | dōmo arigatō gozaimashita |
| どうもすみませんでした | dōmo sumimasen deshita |
This phrase is used to express greater gratitude than "thank you".
What does it mean word for word?
The word どうも acts as an intensifier in this context, meaning 'very' or 'truly'.
Which one should you use?
どうもありがとうございました is used to thank someone for an action that has already been completed. In contrast, the form ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) is used for ongoing or future gratitude. Additionally, どうもすみませんでした (dōmo sumimasen deshita) can be used to express deep gratitude, but it carries the nuance of 'I am very sorry (for the trouble caused),' effectively apologizing for the inconvenience the recipient went through to help you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a casual way to express appreciation, you can use どうも, but this is very informal and should be avoided in formal or professional settings. The forms どうもありがとうございました and どうもすみませんでした are polite. For an emphatic formal expression, you can use どうもありがとうございます (dōmo arigatō gozaimasu).
How does it change in a sentence?
This specific tense is used to thank someone for an action or event that has already been completed.
How do you pronounce it?
dōmo arigatō gozaimashita
Did you know?
- While ありがとうございます is the standard polite form, the word ありがとう actually originates from the adjective ありがたい, meaning 'difficult to be' or 'rare', implying that the favor received is a rare and precious thing.
- In some professional contexts, saying どうもありがとうございました can be seen as too distant, so workers often use お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu) to thank colleagues for their hard work.
- Depending on the region, some people use おおきに (ōkini) instead of ありがとう (arigatō) to say 'thank you' in the Kyoto and Osaka areas.
Examples in context
- どうもありがとうございました。Thank you very much.This sentence shows the standard way to say 'Thank you very much.'Tatoeba #10899748 by small_snow, translation #1839560 by CK
- 先生、どうもありがとうございました。Thank you very much, doctor.This sentence demonstrates how to use どうもありがとうございました when addressing a teacher or doctor.Tatoeba #141797 by bunbuku, translation #272773 by CK
- 昨日はどうもありがとうございました。Kinou wa doumo arigatou gozaimashita.Thank you very much for yesterday.
Example conversation
Hiroto is thanking Himari for helping him with his work.
- 大翔 Hiroto手伝ってくれて、どうもありがとうございました。Tetsudatte kurete, doumo arigatou gozaimashita.Thank you very much for helping me.
- 陽葵 Himariいえいえ、お役に立ててよかったです。Iie iie, o-yaku ni tatete yokatta desu.No problem, I am glad I could be of help.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当に助かりました。Hontou ni tasukarimashita.It was a huge help.
- 陽葵 Himariまたいつでも言ってくださいね。Mata itsudemo itte kudasai ne.Please let me know anytime.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you very much” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
