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]
💬 Usage Tip: Standard polite thanks. Great for closing: [ありがとうございます。助かります。] “Thanks, that helps.”
🇯🇵 In Japan: Ending with thanks helps preserve harmony and makes future interactions (in the hallway, elevator) less awkward.
Phrase Breakdown
ありがとう
arigatou
[ah-ree-gah-toh]
thank you (polite)
Polite “thank you.” Appropriate for neighbors, especially after they agree to lower the volume or follow quiet hours.
ご対応いただき、ありがとうございます。
Thank you for your cooperation.
ござい
gozai
[goh-zah-ee]
(part of) polite expression; forms ございます
ござい is part of ございます, which makes ありがとう more formal and respectful (ありがとうございます).
本当にありがとうございます。
Thank you very much.
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite verb ending (here: in ございます)
In ございます, ます adds politeness. Used in fixed polite phrases like ありがとうございます.
いつもありがとうございます。
Thank you as always.
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