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: [ありがとうございます] is the polite standard “thank you.” It is more formal than casual [ありがとう].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Politeness is a two-way street in Japan. Guests also say [ありがとうございます] often, even during simple service exchanges.
Phrase Breakdown
ありがとう
arigatou
[ah-ree-gah-toh]
thank you
A common expression of thanks, used politely with customers and staff.
手伝ってくれて「ありがとう」と言いました。
I said, "Thank you," for the help.
ござい
gozai
[goh-zah-ee]
to be
Part of a very polite fixed expression that makes ありがとうございます more formal.
「ござい」は「ありがとうございます」の中で使います。
"ござい" is used inside "ありがとうございます."
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite ending
A polite verb ending used in formal speech and set expressions.
お客様には「ありがとうございます」と言います。
We say "Thank you very much" to customers.
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