Thank You in Japanese: ありがとう (Arigatō) and Every Way to Say It

Thank you in Japanese: ありがとう (arigatō)

Thank you in Japanese is ありがとう (arigatō), and the polite form is ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu). Use the polite form with strangers, shop staff, teachers and anyone older, and keep plain ありがとう for friends and family.

It's written with five hiragana: あ, り, が, と and う. Tap any of them to hear each sound and see how it's written.

Two things about it confuse learners:

• Why there's a line over the o. In Hepburn romaji, the usual way to write Japanese in English letters, a long vowel gets a line on top (a macron). とう is a long "to", so ありがとう is arigatō. You'll also see arigatou, which copies the kana letter for letter, and arigato, with the mark dropped, the way English writes Tokyo for Tōkyō. All three are the same word. When you say it, hold the "to" a little longer.
• It has kanji, but write it in hiragana. The dictionary gives 有難う as a written form and marks the word as usually written in kana. A Mynavi article on the phrase says the kanji spelling isn't wrong, but it's uncommon today.

Arigatō meaning: thank you (literally “hard to come by”)

Arigatō means "thank you". Literally, it comes from a word for "rare" or "hard to come by": being thanked this way says that what someone did for you was precious.

That word is an old adjective, 有り難し (ありがたし, arigatashi). It's built from 有り, "to exist" (有), and 難し, "hard" (難): something that hardly exists.

Its modern form is the adjective ありがたい (arigatai, “grateful”). ありがたく, the form this adjective takes in front of a verb, softened over time in speech into ありがとう.

The polite ありがとうございます is that same ありがとう plus ございます (gozaimasu, “to be”), a very polite verb. Read literally, it says something like "it is rare and precious".

The meaning moved slowly from "rare" to "thank you":

• In The Pillow Book, completed in 1002, a list headed ありがたきもの is a list of rare things, such as a son-in-law praised by his father-in-law, or silver tweezers that actually pull hairs out.
• In the Middle Ages, according to a Japanese etymology dictionary quoted by Japan's National Diet Library, it came to express religious gratitude for precious things you can't earn, such as the Buddha's compassion.
• Later, from the Edo period onwards, it widened into everyday thanks. One major dictionary, quoted in the same answer, suggests the word only became truly widespread in the Meiji era (1868 to 1912).

Japanese Wikipedia also mentions a Buddhist origin: words of wonder at life in a Buddhist scripture, the Dhammapada, came over time to express thanks. It presents this as "it is said", so treat it as one explanation, not settled fact.

Arigatō gozaimasu: the polite thank you (and gozaimashita)

Five forms cover almost every situation:

ございます is the part that makes it polite. The Japanese dictionary on Kotobank puts it simply: to say ありがとう politely, add ございます.

So is plain ありがとう OK? With friends and family, yes. With staff, strangers and anyone older, ありがとうございます is the safe default. Plain ありがとう there isn't an insult, but it can sound more casual than you meant.

ございます or ございました? Use ありがとうございました for something that has finished (a meeting, a lesson, a stay) and ありがとうございます for something still going on. You'll often notice this in shops: staff tend to say ございます while you pay and ございました as you walk out.

The past form doesn't mean you've stopped being grateful. For a finished lesson, ありがとうございました is normal, even if you'll see the teacher next week. But the same Mynavi article warns that the past form can sound like closing things off when you thank someone for the relationship itself. For kindness that continues, such as a colleague who often helps you, ありがとうございます fits better.

Two more thanks you'll hear all the time:

• いつもありがとうございます, with いつも (itsumo, “always”): thanks for kindness that keeps coming. It's common with people you deal with regularly, on the phone and at the end of business emails, but not with someone you've just met.
• 助かる (たすかる, tasukaru, “to be helped”), said as 助かります or, casually, 助かった: "that's a big help". It suits colleagues, friends and people junior to you. Business guides warn that it can sound condescending to a boss or a client, so say ありがとうございます to them.

Dōmo: the short thanks

On its own, どうも (dōmo, “thank you”) is a quick "thanks". The dictionary marks this use as an abbreviation: a short version of longer thanks.

どうも also means "very". Its second meaning in the dictionary is "much (thanks); very (sorry)". That's why it makes ありがとう and すみません stronger.

So can you say "domo arigato"? Yes. どうもありがとう is a set phrase meaning "thank you very much", and どうもありがとうございます is the polite version.

To someone senior, どうも alone can sound curt: say the full ありがとうございます instead. どうも is also a quick hello, as Hello in Japanese explains.

Sumimasen: thank you as “sorry”

すみません (sumimasen) is the word most learners know as "excuse me" or "I'm sorry". Its second meaning in the dictionary is "thank you; you shouldn't have; it's too much".

Use it when someone has gone to some trouble for you: they picked up something you dropped, held a door, or brought you a gift. You thank them by noticing the trouble. Tofugu points out that in these moments すみません can be a more polite thanks than ありがとう, because it shows you're aware of the other person's trouble and adds a humble tone.

For more, say どうもすみません (dōmo sumimasen, “thank you very much”). In speech you'll also hear すいません (suimasen), which the dictionary lists as an entry of its own.

In formal settings, you may hear 申し訳ありません (もうしわけありません, mōshiwake arimasen, “thank you very much (for help, etc.)”). It's best known as a formal apology, and like すみません, it can also thank.

Formal and work thanks: kansha shimasu, osewa ni natte orimasu, otsukaresama

感謝 (かんしゃ, kansha, “thanks”) means thanks or gratitude (感, 謝). As 感謝しています, "I'm grateful", it's heavier than ありがとう. 感謝します, a more formal "I thank you", belongs mostly to speeches and letters.

恐れ入ります (おそれいります, osore irimasu) is humble. The dictionary glosses it "you have my sincere gratitude; it's very kind of you", and it's typically said to customers or to people above you. You'll also hear it at the start of a polite request, as 恐れ入りますが…, roughly "sorry to trouble you, but…". Business guides call this a cushion phrase: it softens what comes next.

At work, お世話になっております (おせわになっております, osewa ni natte orimasu, “thank you very much for everything”) is a standard opening for business emails and calls, for a relationship that's ongoing. It's built on 世話になる (せわになる, sewaninaru), "to be looked after; to receive help". Two related forms aren't dictionary entries, but you'll meet them:

• お世話になります, for help you're receiving or about to receive. One business guide advises against it at a very first contact, where an introduction fits better.
• お世話になりました, for help that's over: when you leave a job, or after someone helped you with something specific.

お疲れ様 (おつかれさま, otsukaresama, “thank you (for your hard work)”) thanks someone for their effort. Colleagues say it, usually as お疲れ様です, at the end of the day and in passing. Among friends, the short お疲れ (おつかれ, otsukare, “thanks (for coming, helping, etc.)”) is common, and the dictionary marks it colloquial.

ご苦労様 (ごくろうさま, gokurōsama, “thank you (for your hard work)”) means much the same, but traditionally it goes from a superior to someone junior. In a survey for the 2005 fiscal year, Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs asked what people say to a co-worker who has finished work:

Even towards juniors, most people chose お疲れ様. If you're not sure, say お疲れ様: it works in both directions.

Thanks at meals: itadakimasu and gochisōsama

Japanese has a thank you for each end of a meal:

Japanese Wikipedia describes the thanks behind them as going to the people who farmed, cooked and served the food, and to the food itself. Saying them as a habit is said to have spread only after the Meiji era began in 1868, and research cited there suggests it became near universal only in the 20th century.

ごちそう comes from 馳走, which first meant running about (走 is "run"). It came to mean the trouble a host takes to give you a good meal, so ごちそうさま thanks them for that effort. Many people also say ごちそうさまでした to whoever paid, or to restaurant staff as they leave.

The dictionary lists a second, joking use too: ごちそうさま (gochisōsama, “thank you (for displaying lovey-dovey behaviour)”).

You can drill both in the eating and drinking quiz.

Casual thanks: arigato, sankyū, azassu, ōkini

With friends and people your own age, thanks often gets shorter:

The dictionary marks ありがと and サンキュー as colloquial and あざっす as slang. あざっす is a squeezed-down ありがとうございます. A Japanese dictionary of new words describes it as typical of young people in sports clubs.

サンキュー is written in katakana, the script for words from other languages: サ, ン, キ with a small ユ, then a dash that lengthens the vowel. What Is Katakana? explains how it works.

おおきに belongs to Kansai, the region around Osaka and Kyoto: Kotobank's entry for ありがとう notes that people there say おおきに instead. It's short for ōki ni arigatō, "thank you very much". In Kansai shops you may hear "Maido ōkini!", "thanks as always", with 毎度 (まいど, maido, “thank you for your continued patronage”).

Keep ありがと, サンキュー and あざっす for friends, and don't use them with a boss, a teacher or a stranger. おおきに is different: it isn't rude, it's dialect, and you may hear shopkeepers say it to customers. As a learner outside Kansai, stick to ありがとう(ございます), which Kansai speakers use too.

How to answer thank you in Japanese

The textbook answer is どういたしまして (dō itashimashite, “you're welcome”). It's correct, but many learners say it sounds stiff and is heard less in everyday talk than in textbooks. Lighter answers are common:

• いいえ (iie), or the shorter いえ (ie), often doubled as いえいえ (ieie): a light "not at all". Besides "no", the dictionary gives "you're welcome" as a meaning of いいえ.
• とんでもない (tondemonai, “(it was) no bother at all”): a humble "not at all", common in polite and business talk, often as とんでもないです.
• こちらこそ (kochirakoso, “it is I who should say so”): when the thanks goes both ways, as in こちらこそ、ありがとうございます.

Thanks usually come with a small bow or a nod of the head. Between friends, a nod is enough.

Questions about thank you in Japanese

How do you politely say thank you in Japanese?

The polite way to say thank you in Japanese is ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu). For "thank you very much", say どうもありがとうございます (dōmo arigatō gozaimasu). At work, 恐れ入ります (osore irimasu) is humbler still.

What does arigato mean?

Arigatō (ありがとう) means "thank you". Literally, it comes from an old word, 有り難し (arigatashi), meaning "rare, hard to come by".

Is it okay to just say arigato?

Saying just arigatō is fine with friends and family. With staff, strangers and anyone older, add gozaimasu: ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu).

Is it arigato gozaimasu or arigato?

Both arigatō and arigatō gozaimasu are correct. Gozaimasu makes it polite, so choose by who you're talking to.

What is gozaimasu?

Gozaimasu (ございます) is a very polite verb meaning "to be". ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) is ありがとう plus ございます, so read literally it says something like "it is rare and precious".

Can I say domo arigato?

Yes, どうもありがとう (dōmo arigatō) means "thank you very much". Add ございます (gozaimasu) to make it polite.

How do I reply to arigato?

The textbook reply to arigatō is どういたしまして (dō itashimashite), but a light いえいえ (ieie) is often heard. When you're grateful too, say こちらこそ (kochira koso).

Can arigato mean "I love you"?

No, arigatō only means thanks.

Why is arigatō written with a line over the o?

The line over the o in arigatō (a macron) marks a long vowel in Hepburn romaji. とう is said as a long "tō", so you'll see arigatō, arigatou and arigato for the same word.

Is arigato from Portuguese obrigado?

No, arigatō doesn't come from Portuguese. Its root, ありがたし (arigatashi), appears in Japanese texts centuries before the Portuguese first arrived in 1543.

Sources

• Readings, meanings and register notes: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), including its notes that ありがとう is usually written in kana, that ありがと and サンキュー are colloquial, あざっす slang and 恐れ入ります humble.
• Where ありがとう comes from: Kotobank (Digital Daijisen), 有難う (ありがたく softened into ありがとう; the polite ございます; Kansai おおきに); Japanese Wikipedia, ありがとう (the meaning "rare"; the Dhammapada explanation); National Diet Library, Collaborative Reference Database, why ありがとう came to be used (religious thanks in the Middle Ages, everyday thanks later, widespread from Meiji; quoting 暮らしのことば語源辞典 and 日本国語大辞典).
• ありがとう plus ございます: Oggi, ありがとうございました.
• The Pillow Book's list of rare things: Manapedia, ありがたきもの (with a modern Japanese translation).
• Dates: Wikipedia, The Pillow Book (completed in 1002) and Nanban trade (the Portuguese at Tanegashima, 1543).
• Macrons: Wikipedia, Hepburn romanization.
• ございます and ございました, and the kanji spelling: Mynavi News (2022).
• いつもありがとうございます: Oggi, いつもありがとうございます. 助かります: Mynavi News (2021).
• すみません as thanks: Tofugu, Sumimasen.
• 恐れ入ります and 恐れ入りますが: Oggi, 恐れ入りますが.
• お世話になります, お世話になっております, お世話になりました: Mynavi Gakumado.
• お疲れ様 and ご苦労様: Agency for Cultural Affairs, results of the FY2005 survey on the Japanese language, with the exact figures from Central Research Services' report on the survey.
• Meals: Japanese Wikipedia, いただきます and ごちそうさま.
• あざっす: Imidas, あざーす.
• おおきに: Wikipedia, Kansai dialect.
• Reviewed by two independent reviews; the points about どういたしまして, plain ありがとう to staff, どうも, ございました after a lesson, お世話になります, とんでもない, 助かります, あざっす, おおきに and restaurant use of ごちそうさまでした are waiting for a native speaker's check.