How to Say ‘Thank you very much’ in Japanese
ありがとうございます
arigatou gozai masu
[ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee mahss]
💬 Usage Tip: ございます is a polite add-on that also appears in おはようございます; it adds politeness rather than literally meaning "very much".
Phrase Breakdown
ありがとう
arigatou
[ah-ree-gah-toh]
thank you (casual base)
The base “thank you.” In formal speech it’s followed by ございます to become polite.
本日はお越しいただきありがとうござい ます。
Thank you for coming today.
ございます
gozai masu
(polite ending)
Adding this makes 'thank you' polite. Say 'go-za-i-mas', with the final 'u' almost silent.
おはようございます。
Good morning (polite).
Words in this phrase
ござい
gozai
[goh-zah-ee]
to be; to exist (polite part of expression)
A polite verb stem used in set phrases like greetings to sound respectful.
あいさつでは、ございをていねいに言います。
In greetings, you say gozai politely.
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite verb ending
A polite ending attached to verbs to make speech more formal.
毎朝、先生にあいさつします。
Every morning, I greet my teacher.
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