いろいろありがとう
iroiro arigatō
The English phrase "thanks for everything" is translated into Japanese as いろいろありがとう (iroiro arigatō).
This phrase is used to express gratitude for multiple things someone has done. It is commonly used in situations where you are thanking people for their cumulative support, such as when leaving a job, graduating or finishing a long-term project.
What does it mean word for word?
The word いろいろ literally means "various" or "many different things".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form いろいろありがとう is informal and should be used with friends or people of equal or lower status. For a much more formal way to express that you express your deepest gratitude for someone's kindness, you can use ご厚情に感謝申し上げます.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust the politeness and tense of the phrase by changing the ending. Using いろいろありがとうございます is a polite way to express gratitude for ongoing support or things currently happening. Alternatively, adding ありがとうございました to the end makes the phrase polite and indicates that the period of help or the situation being thanked for has concluded.
How do you pronounce it?
iroiro arigatō
Did you know?
- The root of ありがとう comes from the word あり難い, which literally means 'difficult to be', reflecting the idea that the kindness received was a rare and precious occurrence.
- In Japanese culture, thanking someone too much for their help can sometimes be seen as a way of creating distance, as it implies the favor was a one-time transaction rather than a mutual bond.
- While いろいろありがとう expresses thanks, Japanese people often pair this sentiment with an apology, such as ご迷惑をおかけしました, to thank the person for enduring the trouble they caused.
Examples in context
- いろいろありがとうございました。Thanks for everything you've done.This sentence shows how to use いろいろありがとう in a polite past-tense form.Tatoeba #10982436 by small_snow, translation #6375979 by OsoHombre
- いろいろありがとう。Iroiro arigatou.Thanks for everything.
- 今日はいろいろありがとうね。Kyou wa iroiro arigatou ne.Thanks for everything today.
Example conversation
Yui is thanking Ren for his help during a trip.
- 結衣 Yui蓮くん、今日はいろいろありがとう。Ren-kun, kyou wa iroiro arigatou.Ren, thanks for everything today.
- 蓮 Renううん、こちらこそありがとう。Uun, kochira koso arigatou.No, thank you too.
- 結衣 Yuiすごく楽しかったよ。Sugoku tanoshikatta yo.It was really fun.
- 蓮 Renよかった。また行こうね。Yokatta. Mata ikou ne.I'm glad. Let's go again.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
