Thanking in Japanese? It sounds difficult, but if you read this article you can do it in any context!
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Informal Thanks
Step 1. Say "domo arigatou", which simply means "thank you"
- Use this expression with your friends and co-workers, but not with someone in a position of authority. Avoid it, therefore, in formal situations.
- It is pronounced "domo arigatò".
- Its non-Romanized form is written like this: ど う も 有 難 う
Step 2. You can also just say “arigatou”, which is even more informal
- Use this phrase only with your friends and family members. It is appropriate with people who share the same status as you.
- It is pronounced "arigatò".
- Its non-Romanized form is written like this: 有 難 う or あ り が と う
Step 3. “Domo” is a more polite form than “arigatou” and is halfway between formal and informal language
- "Domo" alone means "very much": you will understand that it is a thank you based on the context of the conversation.
- You can use it in most formal contexts, but in general, in order not to make mistakes, you should use other phrases in these situations.
- The pronunciation is very similar to Italian.
- Its non-Romanized form is written like this: ど う も
Method 2 of 4: Formal Thanks
Step 1. Say "arigatou gozaimasu", which means "thank you"
- You can use it with people of higher status than yours: supervisors, older family members, professors, strangers and older acquaintances than you.
- You can also use it to show your deepest gratitude to someone close to you.
- It is pronounced "arigatò gosaimas".
- Its non-Romanized form is 有 難 う 御座 い ま す
Step 2. "Domo arigatou gozaimasu" means "thank you very much" and is an even more formal version
- It is used in formal contexts and to express your sincere thanks to a familiar person.
- The pronunciation is “domo arigatò gosaimas”.
- Non-Romanized form: ど う も 有 難 う 御座 い ま す
Step 3. The past tense of this sentence is “arigatou gozaimashita”
If someone has done something for you in the recent past, you can use this phrase by converting “gozaimasu” to “gozaimashita”.
It is pronounced "arigatò gosaimashta"
Method 3 of 4: Specific Thanks Based on Circumstances
Step 1. Use “gochisou sama deshita” at the end of a meal at another person's home
- Before eating, you can say "itadakimasu".
- It is pronounced "gociso sama deshtà".
Step 2. At the end of a working day, you can say "o-tsukaresama desu", which roughly means "thank you for your hard work", although a closer interpretation would be "you are a tired person"
- The phrase implies that your interlocutor has worked hard and deserves to rest. Show gratitude for another person's commitment.
- It is pronounced "ozukaresamà des".
Step 3. In Osaka they say “ookini”
This is how thanks are given in the dialect of the city, so this word does not belong to standard Japanese.
- "Ookini" can mean both "thank you" and "please". It can be used at the end of a sentence to sound polite or to show appreciation to a close person.
- The term was originally used to indicate a quantity. In fact, the complete sentence was “ookini arigatou”, subsequently shortened to “ookini”.
- It is pronounced as it is read.
- Non-Romanized form: お お き に
Method 4 of 4: Respond to a Thanksgiving
Step 1. Respond with “dou itashi mashite” in both formal and informal contexts
It means "of nothing".
- It is pronounced "do itashi mashtè".
- Non-Romanized form: ど う い た し ま し て
- Informally, instead of "dou itashi mashite" you can say "iie", written い い え, which literally means "no". In this way you are saying to the person who helped you "It's nothing", "No thanks".
