As a good student who wants to make a good impression on other people, it is very important that you master the different ways to say \"thank you\" in Japanese. Given that courtesy and etiquette are very important in Japanese culture, this is not a minor detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may already know the expression Arigato<\/em> (\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046) which means \"thank you.\" But it\u2019s not the only word to express gratitude in Japanese. Let's learn some more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, there are some variations of Arigato,<\/em> each indicating different degrees of formality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n After learning these basics, let's move on to slightly more complex phrases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This expression is used when you are grateful for something that has been done to you,<\/strong> for example, you can say it to your teacher at the end of a lesson, or to your host when you leave a house party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can view it as Arigato gozaimasu<\/em> in past sense. It is also used in letters and thank-you cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Sumimasen means \"excuse me\" or \"I\u2019m sorry\", it is also used in the sense of \"thank you.\" Why? Because it is a way of expressing appreciation for the work that the other person went through to give you what you are grateful for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is similar to when we say \u201cI\u2019m sorry for the trouble\" to express gratitude when you ask someone a favor, or we say \"You shouldn't have bothered\" when we receive a gift. It\u2019s the same in Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you can also put together two expressions to say thank you in Japanese<\/strong> (just as in Engilsh): \u00ab\u3069\u3046\u3082\u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3001\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059!\u00bb (Doumo sumimasen, arigatougozaimasu!). Which is equivalent to \"Thank you very much, you shouldn't have bothered!\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Osoreirimasu<\/em> is similar to Sumimasen<\/em> but much more formal. It is not something you would use on a daily basis when talking to your family and friends. Rather, it is a polite and elegant way in which a businessman expresses his gratitude in Japanese to his clients, or an employee to his boss, or among strangers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A note of caution, though: whereas it can be viewed as the formal version of sumimasen, the expression osoreirimasu<\/em> does not mean \"sorry\" or \"I'm sorry.\" It only means \"thank you.\"<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Japanese culture places a lot of emphasis on courtesy, etiquette, respect, and good manners. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important\u00a0that right from the beginning you know how to fit in. And apart from knowing how to express gratitude, knowing how to greet people<\/a> will be very handy as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you travel to Japan or have to interact with Japanese people for your work or studies, showing that you are a grateful person will earn you a lot of points. Not to mention understanding when they thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning Japanese is an experience well worth having. In addition, it can benefit you a lot as a person and even at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\nENGLISH<\/strong><\/td> HIRAGANA<\/strong><\/td> ROMAJI<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Thank you<\/td> \u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046<\/td> Arigato<\/td><\/tr> Thanks (more casual)<\/td> \u3069\u3046\u3082<\/td> Domo<\/td><\/tr> Thank you very much<\/td> \u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/td> Arigato gozaimasu<\/td><\/tr> Thanks a lot (more casual)<\/td> \u3069\u3046\u3082\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046<\/td> Domo arigato<\/td><\/tr> Thank you so (very) much<\/td> \u3069\u3046\u3082\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/td> Domo arigato gozaimasu<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Other ways to say \"thank you\" in Japanese<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Arigato gozaimashita<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Sumimasen<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Osoreirimasu<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n