Translation guide
Expressing gratitude in Japanese depends heavily on formality, relationship, and context. The most common word is ありがとう, but it has polite and humble variants. In many situations, especially service encounters, すみません (excuse me/sorry) is used to express thanks. For past actions, the past tense is standard. Learners should be careful not to overuse direct translations like サンキュー in formal settings.
Expressing gratitude to friends, family, or in informal situations.
The standard casual 'thank you'. Used with close friends, family, or those of lower status.
プレゼントありがとう。
Thanks for the present.
手伝ってくれてありがとう。
Thanks for helping me.
A very casual, brief 'thanks'. Can be used alone or combined with ありがとう (どうもありがとう).
どうも。
Thanks.
Loanword from English, used very casually among young people or in informal settings. Not appropriate in polite contexts.
サンキュー！
Thanks!
Expressing gratitude in polite or formal situations, to strangers, superiors, or in business settings.
The standard polite form. Use with teachers, bosses, strangers, and in most service interactions.
ご親切にありがとうございます。
Thank you for your kindness.
お越しいただきありがとうございます。
Thank you for coming.
A more emphatic polite thanks. どうも adds a sense of 'very much'.
どうもありがとうございます。
Thank you very much.
Thanking someone for something they have already done. In Japanese, the past tense is often used.
Polite past tense, used when the favor or action is completed. Common after a meal, a meeting, or receiving help.
昨日はありがとうございました。
Thank you for yesterday.
ごちそうさまでした。ありがとうございました。
Thank you for the meal.
Casual past thanks. The present tense form is often used even for past actions in casual speech.
この間はありがとう。
Thanks for the other day.
Expressing deep gratitude in very formal or humble situations, such as business or to customers.
While not strictly humble, this is the default polite form and is often sufficient.
ありがとうございます。
Thank you.
A humble expression meaning 'I'm sorry to trouble you' or 'I'm very grateful'. Used in business settings, especially when receiving a favor or apology.
わざわざお越しいただき、恐れ入ります。
Thank you very much for coming all this way.
A very formal, humble expression of gratitude. Often used in speeches or written correspondence.
ご支援に心より感謝いたします。
I sincerely thank you for your support.
In many situations, especially when someone does something for you that causes them trouble, Japanese people use すみません (excuse me/sorry) to express thanks.
Used to thank someone while acknowledging the trouble they went through. Common when receiving a gift, help, or service.
プレゼントをもらってすみません。
Thank you (for the present). / Sorry to put you to trouble.
わざわざ来てくれてすみません。
Thank you for coming all this way (and sorry for the trouble).
A more casual, colloquial version of すみません.
すいません、助かりました。
Thanks, that was a big help.
Expressing thanks as a customer or service provider. Often uses set phrases.
The standard polite thanks used by both customers and staff.
ありがとうございます。
Thank you. (said by staff)
Often used by staff when a customer leaves, as the transaction is complete.
ありがとうございました。またお越しください。
Thank you. Please come again.
A set phrase used by shopkeepers to regular customers, meaning 'Thank you for your continued patronage'.
毎度ありがとうございます。
Thank you as always.
Expressing thanks in letters, emails, or formal documents.
Standard polite thanks, suitable for most written communication.
ご連絡ありがとうございます。
Thank you for contacting us.
A very formal written expression of gratitude.
ご厚情に感謝申し上げます。
I express my gratitude for your kindness.
Another formal written expression, meaning 'I offer my thanks'.
ご協力にお礼申し上げます。
Thank you for your cooperation.
While サンキュー is understood, it can sound flippant or childish in many situations. Stick to ありがとう or ありがとうございます unless you are very close friends.
サンキュー！
Thanks!
When someone does a favor that inconveniences them, すみません is often more natural than ありがとう. It acknowledges the burden. For example, if someone picks up something you dropped, すみません is common.
あ、すみません。
Oh, thank you (sorry for the trouble).
A slight bow often accompanies verbal thanks. The deeper the bow, the more formal. In casual settings, a nod or no bow is fine.
ありがとう。
Thanks.