How to Say ‘Thank you.’ in Japanese
ありがとうございます。
arigatou gozai masu
[ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee mahss]
Phrase Breakdown
ありがとう
arigatou
[ah-ree-gah-toh]
thank you
The core word for thanks. In this full phrase, it becomes a polite 'thank you very much.'
ありがとうと気持ちを伝えます。
I express my feelings by saying thank you.
ござい
gozai
[goh-zah-ee]
polite auxiliary part
Part of ございます, which makes the expression much more polite.
ございが入ると丁寧になります。
Including ござい makes it more polite.
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite verb ending
A polite ending used here as part of ございます.
ますで丁寧さを表します。
ます expresses politeness.
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