Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Informal thanks
• Method 2 of 4: Formally thank you
• Method 3 of 4: Thanks for special circumstances
• Method 4 of 4: Answering thanks
• Tips

To find out how to say “thank you” in Japanese, you must first determine how polite your thank you should be. Some sentences are more casual, while others are more formal. There are also some phrases that express gratitude only when used in certain situations. Here's a brief explanation of what you need to know about expressions of gratitude in Japanese.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Informal thanks

1. Say “domo arigatou”. This is a fairly standard yet casual way of saying “thank you”.
   • Use this phrase with friends and colleagues, but not with someone who has authority over you. Also avoid using it in formal situations.
   • Speak domo arigatou out as doo-moo aa-rie-ghaa-too.
   • In the non-romanized form, you write ど う も 有 難 う.
2. Shorten it to "arigatou.’ arigatou is an even more informal way to say "thank you".
   • You can use this phrase with friends and relatives. It is appropriate with people of the same status as you, but someone of higher status, such as a manager or teacher, should be treated with more respect.
   • Speak arigatou out as aa-rie-ghaa-too.
   • You write in the non-romanized form arigatou if 有 難 う or あ り が と う.
3. Shorten it to "domo.’ Domo is more polite than arigatou, but it falls somewhere between informal and formal language.
   • In itself means domo "very much," but depending on the context of the conversation, it is understood as "thank you".
   • You can use this in most formal circumstances, but if you need to be very polite to someone, you better choose a more formal sentence.
   • Speak domo out as doo-moo.
   • In the non-romanized form, you write ど う も.

Method 2 of 4: Formally thank you

1. Say "arigatou gozaimasu.This phrase basically means "thank you very much."
   • You can arigatou gozaimasu use in people of higher status than you, including managers, elderly relatives, teachers, and strangers or acquaintances older than you.
   • You can also use this phrase to express formal or heartfelt gratitude to a loved one.
   • Speak arigatou gozaimasu out as aa-rie-ghaa-too ghoo-zaa-ie-mas.
   • In the non-romanized form, you write 有 難 う 御座 い ま す.
2. Switch to "domo arigatou gozaimasu."This is an even more polite way of saying" thank you very much. "
   • Use this phrase with people of higher status, or in formal circumstances. You can also use the phrase to express sincerity with someone you know.
   • Pronounce the sentence as doo-moo aa-rie-ghaa-too ghoo-saa-ie-mas. "
   • You write in the non-romanized form domo arigatou gozaimasu as ど う も 有 難 う 御座 い ま す.
3. Express past tense thanks as "arigatou gozaimashita.If someone has done something for you in the recent past, make the sentence past tense by it -you end of gozaimasu to change to -ita.
   • Pronounce the sentence as aa-rie-ghaa-too ghoo-zaa-ie-ma-shie-taa.

Method 3 of 4: Thanks for special circumstances

1. Use "gochisou sama deshita" after a meal. When a host serves you dinner or someone treats you to a meal, use this phrase at the end of the meal to express gratitude.
   • Note: at the start of a meal you say "itadakimasu".
   • Pronounce this sentence as ghoo-tjie-soo saa-maa deh-shie-taa.
2. At the end of a working day you say "o-tsukaresama desu.It means something like "thank you for your hard work," but a more literal translation is "you're a tired person."
   • This means that the listener has worked hard and deserves rest. The phrase is polite and shows gratitude for that person's hard work.
   • Pronounce this sentence as oo-tsu-kaa-reh-saa-maa des.
3. In Osaka you say "ookini."This is not standard Japanese. This form of saying" thank you "is only found in the Osaka dialect.
   • Ookini can mean "thank you" or "please". It can be used at the beginning of a sentence to ease association, or on its own to show appreciation for a loved one.
   • Originally, the term is a way of expressing quantity, and was used with arigatou as ookini arigatou. Over time, however, the sentence was shortened to ookini.
   • Speak ookini out as oo-kie-nie.
   • In non-romanized form, you write it as お お き に.

Method 4 of 4: Answering thanks

1. Answer "dou itashi mashite."In both casual and polite cases, this phrase is used to answer a thank you. It basically has the same meaning as" you're welcome. "
   • Pronounce the sentence as doo ie-tah-shie maa-shie-teh.
   • In non-Romanized form, write the sentence as ど う い た し ま し て。
   • Informally, instead of "dou itashimashite", you can say "iie" which is pronounced "ie-jee" and written as い い え, which literally means just "no". By doing this you are essentially saying to the person thanking you, "thank you nothing."
   • You might see Japanese people waving their hands in front of their faces in a gesture. This also means "to give thanks."

Tips

• Say hai domo (shark doo moo) when you get something. It roughly means "thank you" after you get something. It can also just mean thank you.