How do you say "You’re welcome." in Japanese?

"You’re welcome." in Japanese is "どういたしまして。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

😊👍

How to Say ‘You’re welcome.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "どういたしまして。" mean in English?

"どういたしまして。" means "You’re welcome." in English. Usage tip: [どういたしまして] is a classic “you’re welcome,” but it can sound a bit formal/textbook. In real life, people also say [いえいえ] (“no no”) or [とんでもないです] (“not at all,” polite).

どういたしまして。

dou itashi mashi te

[doh ee-tah-shee mah-shee teh]

💬 Usage Tip: [どういたしまして] is a classic “you’re welcome,” but it can sound a bit formal/textbook. In real life, people also say [いえいえ] (“no no”) or [とんでもないです] (“not at all,” polite).

🇯🇵 In Japan: After you say [ありがとうございます] for directions, many Japanese people will respond with [いえいえ] and may keep pointing or repeating the route to be helpful—accept it as kindness, not as doubt.

Phrase Breakdown

どう

dou

[doh]

you’re welcome

A polite, standard response after someone says thank you (ありがとうございます). Useful after giving directions.

Example

地下鉄の駅を教えてくれてありがとう。どういたしまして。

Thanks for telling me where the subway station is. You’re welcome.

いたし

itashi

[ee-tah-shee]

to do (humble) (stem)

The stem of いたす, used to build polite forms like いたしまして in fixed expressions.

Example

何かお手伝いいたしますか。

May I help you with something?

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

(polite verb ending part of 〜まして)

A component used in polite forms. In どういたしまして it’s part of the fixed phrase.

Example

ありがとうございます。どういたしましてと言われました。

I said “Thank you,” and they said “You’re welcome.”

て

[teh]

(te-form ending; part of 〜まして)

Here it completes the polite connective ending in the set phrase どういたしまして.

Example

どういたしましてと答えてください。

Please respond, “You’re welcome.”

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