You're welcome in Japanese: どういたしまして (dō itashimashite)
You're welcome in Japanese is どういたしまして (dō itashimashite, “you're welcome”), the polite answer to ありがとう (arigatō) that textbooks teach. In everyday life, many people say a light いえいえ (ieie) ("no, not at all"), or just smile and nod.
You'll also see it spelled dou itashimashite or douitashimashite. They're all the same phrase.
It's written with eight hiragana: ど, う, い, た, し, ま, し again and て. The dictionary gives どう致しまして as a written form, but marks the phrase as usually written in kana. Write it in hiragana.
It's built from two dictionary words: どう (dō, “how”) and いたす (itasu, “to do”), a humble verb, here as いたしまして, the te-form of polite いたします. Word for word, it's something like "how have I done anything?". That's our own rough reading, not a dictionary's, but the idea behind it is simple: what I did was nothing worth thanks.
It doesn't only answer thanks. Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, a major Japanese dictionary, describes it as a reply that politely denies what the other person said, after words of thanks or of apology. So it can also answer a sorry. The dictionary also lists an ironic use, a sarcastic "far from it", with an example from a 1905 story by Natsume Sōseki.
Do Japanese people really say dō itashimashite?
Less often than textbooks suggest. In a street survey in the city of Kagoshima, the researcher Kaori Nishi thanked passers-by who had given directions or taken a photo, and recorded how they answered. About half of the replies had no words at all: people just smiled, or smiled and bowed. Of 284 replies, only 2 were どういたしまして.
That study is from 2006 and from one city, so treat it as a clue, not a rule. But it fits an older explanation. The linguist Tetsuya Kunihiro wrote in 1977 that a light bow, a smile or a nod is a common reply to thanks in Japanese, and that it says "what I did wasn't worth thanking me for". Answering with a denial in words, such as いいえ or どういたしまして, can sound 他人行儀 (たにんぎょうぎ, taningyōgi). The dictionary glosses that word as "unduly distant" or "overly formal": the way you'd talk to a stranger. A smile or a nod says the same thing more warmly.
With a boss, the problem is different. BOXIL, a Japanese business magazine, says that どういたしまして to a superior can sound casual, or as if you were speaking as equals, so at work it's safer to avoid it.
None of this makes it wrong. It's polite, and fine with strangers and in class. With friends, it can just feel a little formal.
What people really say: ieie, iie, tondemonai, kochira koso, daijōbu
These replies play down the thanks:
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| いえいえ | いえいえ | ieie | no!; no no!; no, not at all | A light "no, no": to almost anyone |
| いいえ | いいえ | iie | you're welcome; not at all; don't mention it | The same word as "no"; also short, as いえ |
| とんでもない | とんでもない | tondemonai | (it was) no bother at all; not at all; don't mention it | Modest "not at all"; add です to be polite: とんでもないです |
| こちらこそ | こちらこそ | kochira koso | it is I who should say so | When you're thankful too |
| いいよ | いいよ | ii yo | don't sweat it; you're welcome; no worries | Casual: friends |
| 気にしないで | きにしないで | ki ni shinaide | don't worry about it; forget about it | Casual: friends and family |
いいえ is the everyday word for "no", and No in Japanese covers it in more depth. As a reply to thanks, it means "no, it was nothing".
こちらこそ is usually followed by thanks of your own: こちらこそ、ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu). It fits when you have something to thank them for as well.
大丈夫 (だいじょうぶ, daijōbu) is the everyday word for "all right", and it can answer thanks too, as in one of the student replies below. Be careful: the dictionary also gives it a colloquial meaning, "no thanks; I'm good", the way many people turn down an offer. After thanks, it says "it's fine". After an offer, it usually means "no, thank you".
Accepting the thanks: un, glad I could help
Not every reply plays the thanks down. In a study published by International Christian University, 37 Japanese university students in Tokyo wrote what they would say when thanked in different situations. Accepting the thanks was their most common reply (40%), just ahead of denying it (37%). A simple うん (un, “yes”) counts as accepting.
Their denials included いやいや, another reading of the いえいえ entry (いやいや (iyaiya)), and 「いいえ、とんでもないです。」.
Other students said they were glad to have helped. The study's example is 「力になれてうれしい。」, built on 力になる (ちからになる, chikaraninaru, “to be helpful”). Some returned the thanks with 「お互い様だよ。」, from お互い様 (おたがいさま, otagaisama, “the same to you”), which the dictionary also glosses as "the feeling is mutual". The study found this mostly when someone was repaying an earlier favour. Others offered more help: 「いつでも言ってください。」, with いつでも (itsudemo, “(at) any time”).
Practise thank you and the greetings
ありがとうございます, すみません and the everyday greetings, with their sound, in a two-minute quiz.
Polite and at work: tondemonai desu, osore irimasu
When a boss thanks you, for example in an email, BOXIL suggests these instead of どういたしまして:
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| とんでもございません | とんでもございません | tondemo gozaimasen | (it was) no bother at all; not at all; it was nothing | Very polite: to a boss |
| 恐れ入ります | おそれいります | osore irimasu | I feel honored; you have my sincere gratitude; it's very kind of you | Humble: when someone above you thanks you |
| 恐縮 | きょうしゅく | kyōshuku | feeling (much) obliged; being (very) grateful; being thankful | Said as 恐縮です |
BOXIL also gives a longer reply: 「恐れ入ります。お役に立てましたなら幸いです。」. It's built on 役に立つ (やくにたつ, yakunitatsu, “to be helpful”), and it says you're glad if you were of help.
You'll also hear とんでもありません (tondemo arimasen), and many people simply say とんでもないです. お気になさらず (おきになさらず, o ki ni nasarazu, “not at all”) is a more polite way to say 気にしないで.
Is とんでもございません correct?
Some manners guides call it incorrect, because とんでもない is one word, and only its ない is turned into ございません. The government's 2007 keigo guidelines (文化審議会「敬語の指針」) say that using it to modestly brush off praise is now considered fine. Even by the strict view, とんでもないです is correct.
Which one to use: a quick guide
In short, pick the reply by who is thanking you:
| Who thanks you | What you can say |
|---|---|
| A friend | いいよ, いえいえ, うん, or just a smile |
| A stranger, for a small favour | A smile or a nod; いえいえ; どういたしまして |
| A boss | とんでもないです, とんでもございません, 恐れ入ります |
| Someone you're grateful to as well | こちらこそ、ありがとうございます |
Mix-ups to avoid
Not the same as 'welcome'
"Welcome" as a greeting is a different word. ようこそ (yōkoso, “welcome”) greets someone who has arrived, and いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase, “welcome”) is what shop staff say as you walk in. Hello in Japanese explains when you'll hear it.
Two more words can trip you up:
- 別に (べつに, betsu ni, “(not) particularly”). A bare 別に can sound curt or cold as a reply to thanks.
- 言葉に甘える (ことばにあまえる, kotoba ni amaeru, “to accept a kind offer”), often heard as お言葉に甘えて. This is what the person being helped says when they accept an offer, not what the helper says.
Questions about you're welcome in Japanese
What is the reply to arigatō?
The textbook reply to arigatō is どういたしまして (dō itashimashite). In everyday life, a light いえいえ (ieie), or a smile and a nod, is often enough. For thanks itself, see Thank You in Japanese.
What is dou itashimashite?
Dou itashimashite (どういたしまして, also written dō itashimashite) is the Japanese for "you're welcome" or "don't mention it". It's built from どう, "how", and いたす, a humble word for "to do".
Is dō itashimashite rude?
No, dō itashimashite isn't rude. It's polite, but it can sound stiff with friends, and some business guides advise against it with a boss.
How do you say you're welcome formally?
A very polite way to say you're welcome is とんでもございません (tondemo gozaimasen). At work, 恐れ入ります (osore irimasu) and 恐縮です (kyōshuku desu) are humble choices.
How do you say you're welcome casually?
Casual ways to say you're welcome include いいよ (ii yo), いえいえ (ieie) and 気にしないで (ki ni shinaide). You'll also hear 大丈夫 (daijōbu).
How do you reply to dou itashimashite?
Usually nothing more is needed after dou itashimashite. A smile or a small nod ends the exchange.
What is arigato gozaimasu?
Arigatō gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) is the polite way to say thank you. Thank You in Japanese explains it and the casual ありがとう.
How do you respond to ohayo gozaimasu?
Say おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) back. Good Morning in Japanese explains when to use it.
What does ja mata ne mean?
Ja mata ne means "well, see you". It's じゃ (ja, “then”) plus またね (mata ne, “bye”). It's casual, so use it with friends, not with a boss. Goodbye in Japanese explains it and the other ways to say bye.
Sources
- Readings, meanings and register notes: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), including its notes that どういたしまして is usually written in kana, that いたす and 恐れ入ります are humble, that とんでもございません and とんでもありません are polite, that いいよ is colloquial, and that 大丈夫 can mean "no thanks" (colloquial).
- What どういたしまして answers (thanks and apologies), and its ironic use: Kotobank, Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, どう致しまして.
- The replies of Japanese students, plus the Kagoshima street survey (西香織, 2006) and Kunihiro (國廣哲弥, 1977) as summarised in the same study: 呉惠卿 and 金明煕, 感謝に対する応答の日韓比較: 大学生を中心に, ICU Studies in Japanese Language Education 17 (2020), pp. 3 to 20.
- どういたしまして to a boss, and what to say instead: BOXIL Magazine, 上司のメールにお礼の返信をする際に使える文例集.
- とんでもございません: Council for Cultural Affairs, 敬語の指針 (2007), question 29.
- Waiting for a native speaker's check: how stiff どういたしまして sounds, the literal reading of どういたしまして, いえいえ and いいえ, うん and 力になれてうれしい, 大丈夫, いいよ and 気にしないで, とんでもない and its polite forms, お気になさらず, こちらこそ, 別に, ja mata ne, the quick guide table, and replying to どういたしまして.