Hi there, welcome to our new Awesome Japanese website. We hope you like it!
We would like to introduce you to some different ways of saying “Thank you” in Japanese. I expect that all of you have heard of “Arigato” which means “Thank you”, but there are some varieties. Let’s break them down a bit.
Basic Expressions
- ありがとう。(Arigato) “Thank you.”
This is the most commonly used in daily conversation.
- ありがとうございます(Arigato gozaimasu) “Thank you.”
This is more polite than Arigato. If you are talking to an older person or a someone who is your superior, you should use this as “gozaimasu” expresses respect.
- どうもありがとう。(Domo arigato) “Thank you very much.”
- どうもありがとうございます。(Domo arigato gozaimasu) “Thank you very much.”
This is even more polite than Domo arigato. If you are talking to an older person or someone who is your senior, you should use this as “gozaimasu” expresses respect.
- どうも。(Domo) “Thanks.”
Casual. You shouldn’t use this in formal situations.
- ほんとうにありがとうございます。(Honto ni arigato gozaimasu) “Thank you so much.”
- おおきに。(Okini) “Thank you.”
This is dialect mostly used in Kansai region (Osaka & Kyoto area).
Other Useful Expressions
Now, for intermediate speakers, there are some useful phrases to use in a situation that you really want to thank someone but also want to avoid repetition of Arigato. Here are the solutions:
- たすかりました。(Tasukarimashita) “It was a great help.”
This is actually very useful phrase, and is commonly used as well.
- すみません。(Sumimasen) “I’m sorry. Excuse me.”
Some of you might think that this is weird, but when someone did something for you, Japanese people use Sumimasen to express a feeling like “Thank you for doing this for me even if it was a bother to you”. It will express your gratitude.
- かんしゃいたします。(Kansha itashimasu) “I’m grateful”
かんしゃ(感謝) means gratitude. This is very formal and it would be awkward if you say this to your friends. It is often used in a formal emails and letters.
I hope these expressions would be helpful when you talk to Japanese people.
Have a good weekend peeps!