🙏📅

How to Say ‘Thank you for today.’ in Japanese

今日はありがとうございました。

kyou wa arigatou gozai mashi ta

[kyoh wah ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee mah-shee tah]

💬 Usage Tip: The past-tense ございました thanks someone for something that has just finished. Use ございます for something still ongoing.

🇯🇵 In Japan: Say this with a bow as the interview wraps up, before the final 失礼します at the door.

Phrase Breakdown

今日は

kyou wa

today

今日 (kyou) means 'today', and は (wa) marks the topic. Pronounced 'kyou wa', with a long 'ou'. Be careful not to say 'konnichiwa' here.

Example

今日は暑いです。

It's hot today.

Words in this phrase

今日

kyou

[kyoh]

today

The current day.

Example

今日のコンサートは満席です。

Today's concert is full.

は

[wah]

topic marker

は marks the topic of the sentence.

Example

空席はありますか。

Are there any seats available?

ありがとうございました。

arigatou gozai mashi ta

thank you very much (for what you did).

The polite past form of 'thank you', used after something is finished. The whole sentence means 'Thank you very much for today.'

Example

お手伝い、ありがとうございました。

Thank you very much for your help.

Words in this phrase

ありがとう

arigatou

[ah-ree-gah-toh]

thank you

A common way to say thank you.

Example

ありがとう、助かります。

Thank you, that helps.

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.

Example

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.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past stem

Part of the polite past ending in a verb phrase.

Example

昨日は多くのことを学びました。

I learned many things yesterday.

た

[tah]

past tense ending

This ending completes the polite past tense form.

Example

空席がございました。

There were vacant seats.

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