Thank you in Japanese

Knowing how to be polite in Japanese is essential for any Japanese language learner. After today’s free lesson you’ll be able to say thank you in Japanese in more than one way!

Listen carefully to the Japanese pronunciation and practice saying the phrases aloud – you’ll have these mastered thank you in Japanese in no time!

Resources for further reading:

How to say Thank You in Japanese

Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record

Rocket Record lets you perfect your Japanese pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!

ありがとう

Arigatō

Thanks

どうも　ありがとう

Dōmo arigatō

Thanks a lot

If you're looking for a more formal way to say "thank you", try adding a polite gozaimasu:

ありがとう　ございます

Arigatō gozaimasu

Thank you (polite)

どうも　ありがとう　ございました

Dōmo arigatō gozaimashita

Thank you very much (polite)

Here are some other ways you can express gratitude in Japanese:

ご協力いただきありがとうございます

ごきょうりょく　いただき　ありがとう　ございます

Gokyōryoku itadaki arigatō gozaimasu.

Thanks for your help. (formal)

手伝ってくれてありがとう

てつだって　くれて　ありがとう

Tetsudatte kurete arigatō.

Thanks for your help. (casual)

大変ありがとうございました

たいへん　ありがとう　ございました

Taihen arigatō gozaimashita.

Many thanks.

どう　いたしまして

どう　いたしまして

Dō itashimashite.

You're welcome.

それは有難いです

それは　ありがたい　です

Sorewa arigatai desu.

That is very kind.

あなたはなんてご親切だこと

あなたは　なんて　ごしんせつ　だこと

Anatawa nante goshinsetsu dakoto.

How kind of you. (formal)

あなたはなんて優しいの

あなたは　なんて　やさしいの

Anatawa nante yasashiino.

How kind of you. (casual)

Whether you are traveling to Japan or simply interacting with Japanese people, acting in a courteous way will win you friends and gain you respect. You'll find that the more polite you are, the better people will treat you. Japanese people tend to be more formal and place more emphasis on courtesy than you might be used to so don't be afraid to be overly polite!

If you want more lessons on Japanese salutations then I recommend that you check out the following:

Sayōnara!

Sayaka Matsuura: Rocket Japanese

Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement

Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!