How to Say ‘Thank you.’ in Japanese
ありがとうございます。
arigatou gozai masu
[a-ree-ga-toh go-zai mahs]
💬 Usage Tip: [ありがとうございます] is the standard polite “thank you.” Friendly, safe, and always useful.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese public offices can feel formal, so a simple [ありがとうございます] helps keep the interaction pleasant.
Phrase Breakdown
ありがとう
arigatou
[a-ree-ga-toh]
thank you
The casual base part of the polite thank-you expression.
ありがとう、とても助かります。
Thank you, that helps a lot.
ござい
gozai
[go-zai]
to be; polite auxiliary part
Part of the formal phrase ございます, which makes the expression more polite.
ありがとうございます、と言いました。
I said, 'Thank you very much.'
ます
masu
[mahs]
polite verb ending
A common polite verb ending in Japanese.
毎日勉強します。
I study every day.
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