How do you say "Thank you very much." in Japanese?

"Thank you very much." in Japanese is "ありがとうございます。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

🙏🙏🙂

How to Say ‘Thank you very much.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "ありがとうございます。" mean in English?

"ありがとうございます。" means "Thank you very much." in English. Usage tip: [ありがとうございます] is the standard polite “thank you.” You can extend it to sound extra appreciative: [ありがとうございます。助かります。]

ありがとうございます。

arigatou gozai masu

[ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee mahs]

💬 Usage Tip: [ありがとうございます] is the standard polite “thank you.” You can extend it to sound extra appreciative: [ありがとうございます。助かります。]

🇯🇵 In Japan: When requesting repairs, a polite thank-you is expected and can help the conversation stay positive, even if you need to follow up later.

Phrase Breakdown

ありがとう

arigatou

[ah-ree-gah-toh]

thank you (polite)

ありがとう is the base “thank you.” With a landlord, you usually say ありがとうございます for politeness.

Example

すぐ手配していただき、ありがとうございます。

Thank you for arranging it quickly.

ございます

gozai masu

polite add-on (makes “thank you” more formal)

A very polite expression used in set phrases like ありがとうございます. It raises politeness (common in customer service).

Example

おはようございます。

Good morning.

Words in this phrase

ござい

gozai

[goh-zah-ee]

to be (polite); used in formal expressions

ござい is the stem in ございます, forming a very polite set phrase in ありがとうございます.

Example

ありがとうございます。

Thank you very much.

ます

masu

[mahs]

polite ending (formal)

ます keeps the expression polite. ありがとうございます is appropriate to a landlord or management company.

Example

ご対応ありがとうございます。

Thank you for your assistance.

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