Arigatou (ありがとう): thank you, from casual to polite
ありがとう
ありがとう · arigatou
Arigatou is a casual "thank you" for friends and family. Use ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) with strangers or customers, and with people senior to you.
Word by word
| ありがとう | ありがとう | thank you (from 有難い, "rare, precious") |
| ございます | ございます | very polite "there is / it is" |
How polite is each form?
どうも is a quick "thanks", and ありがとう is casual. The polite ありがとうございます is a safe default. For something already finished, such as a meal or a favor, use the polite past form ありがとうございました.
You’ll sometimes hear young characters say サンキュー (sankyuu), borrowed from English.
Replying to thanks
Textbooks teach どういたしまして for "You’re welcome". In conversation, いえいえ ("No, no") and こちらこそ ("Thank you, too") are more common.
More examples
- 本当にありがとう。 hontou ni arigatou. — Thank you so much.
- ありがとうございました！ arigatou gozaimashita! — Thank you very much! (for something done)
Hear it in real scenes
In Animei you watch anime with Japanese subtitles, tap any word for its reading and meaning, and keep it as a flashcard with the clip it came from.
Try Animei freeRuns in the browser on phone or desktop. No account needed to start.