How to Say Thank You in Japanese
Learn how to say thank you in Japanese with correct pronunciation. Covers formal, casual, and situational variations so you sound natural, not like a textbook.
Japanese has multiple ways to say thank you, and using the wrong one in the wrong context can range from mildly awkward to genuinely rude. The level of formality you use depends on who you are speaking to, your relationship with them, and the situation.
As a visitor or beginner you can get a long way on one phrase. "Arigatou gozaimasu" is the standard polite form and it works in the vast majority of situations, which makes it the right default for a visitor. It is worth knowing that it still says something about the relationship. The polite form carries a respectful distance, which is exactly what you want with a stranger and a little stiff with a close friend. The rest of this guide is about the cases where something else fits better.
This guide covers the main expressions of gratitude in Japanese, when to use each one, how to pronounce them correctly, and the body language that goes with them. Japanese communication relies heavily on context and physical cues, so knowing when to bow and how deeply matters just as much as the words themselves.
Learn arigatou gozaimasu for most situations
"Arigatou gozaimasu" (ah-ree-GAH-toh go-zah-ee-MAHSS) is the standard, polite way to say thank you in Japanese. Use it with shopkeepers, restaurant staff, hotel employees, strangers, coworkers, and anyone you do not know well. Break it down. "Arigatou" means thank you, and "gozaimasu" adds politeness. Think of "gozaimasu" as turning a casual thanks into a proper one. The final vowels of the two words are doing different things, and the difference explains both respellings. In "gozaimasu" there is a real final "u" and it is barely voiced, so the word lands as "MAHSS" rather than "MAH-soo." In "arigatou" there is no "u" sound at all. The "ou" spells a single long "o," the same pairing Japan's romanization standard uses to write a long vowel. So it is "ah-ree-GAH-toh," holding the "oh," and never "ah-ree-GAH-toh-oo."
Good to know: Practice saying "arigatou gozaimasu" slowly ten times, then gradually speed up. The rhythm should flow smoothly without pausing between the two words. Native speakers say it as one continuous phrase, not two separate words.
Use arigatou for casual situations
"Arigatou" (ah-ree-GAH-toh) by itself is the casual version. Use it with friends, family, people your age in relaxed settings, and in situations where formality would feel stiff. It is the equivalent of "thanks" versus "thank you very much." If you are grabbing a coffee with a friend and they hold the door, "arigatou" is perfect. If a stranger helps you with directions, use the full "arigatou gozaimasu." When in doubt about the formality level, default to the full form. Being slightly more polite than necessary is the safer mistake, and being too casual with someone you should respect is the riskier one. Politeness is not a dial you turn all the way up, though. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says as much in its guidelines on honorific language, which says heavy honorific language does not make you polite by itself, because tone and content still matter. For a visitor choosing between two words, the risk sits on the casual side.
Know doumo for very quick thanks
"Doumo" (DOH-moh) is the quickest way to express thanks, and it is the one word here that does not actually mean "thank you." The National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics traces it to an adverb meaning roughly "however you look at it." It picked up a sense of feeling indebted to the person in front of you, and it settled into the set phrase "doumo arigatou." Said on its own it is that phrase left unfinished, which is why it reads as casual rather than curt. You might hear it when someone passes a beer across the table. Save it for people you already know, and use the fuller forms with anyone older than you or in a service role. Think of "doumo" as the head-nod version of thank you. "Doumo arigatou" sits between "doumo" and "arigatou gozaimasu," warm and sincere without the full formality of "gozaimasu."
Use past tense for things already done
"Arigatou gozaimashita" (ah-ree-GAH-toh go-zah-ee-mah-SHEE-tah) is the past-tense form. Use it when thanking someone for something they already completed. After a meal at a restaurant, when leaving a shop where the staff helped you, after a tour guide finishes a tour, or when saying goodbye to someone who hosted you. The difference is subtle but meaningful. "Arigatou gozaimasu" thanks someone in the present moment (as they hand you your change). "Arigatou gozaimashita" thanks them for the completed experience (as you leave the store). Both are polite. Using the past tense shows awareness and thoughtfulness.
Add a bow for sincerity
In Japanese culture, a bow accompanies verbal thanks and adds sincerity. The deeper the bow, the more gratitude or respect you are expressing. For everyday thanks (shopkeeper, waiter, colleague), a slight nod of the head about 15 degrees is appropriate. For more significant gratitude (someone went out of their way to help you, a formal introduction, receiving a gift), bow about 30 degrees from the waist. Keep your back straight, arms at your sides, and eyes looking down during the bow. The timing matters too. Bow while saying thank you or immediately after, not before. You do not need to hold the bow for long. A second or two is fine for everyday situations.
Respond to thank you correctly
When someone thanks you in Japanese, there are two common responses. "Dou itashimashite" (doh ee-tah-shee-MAH-shee-teh) means "you are welcome." "Iie" (ee-EH) means "no, no" in the sense of "it was nothing." In casual situations, you might also hear "iin da yo" (it is fine) or just a smile and a small bow. As a visitor, a smile with a small nod is always appropriate when someone thanks you. If you want to say "you are welcome," "iie" with a small hand wave is the most natural and easiest to remember.
One phrase and one gesture will carry you through almost every exchange a trip involves. A well-pronounced "arigatou gozaimasu" with a slight bow works the same in a convenience store as it does at a temple. Do not worry about perfection. Focus on "arigatou gozaimasu" for most situations, add the bow, and you will communicate gratitude clearly and respectfully. The other forms are useful to recognize when you hear them, and to use once you feel more comfortable with the basics.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
It depends on context. With friends and peers in casual settings, "arigatou" alone is perfectly fine. With service workers, strangers, elders, or in any professional setting, dropping "gozaimasu" can come across as too casual or slightly disrespectful. When in doubt, use the full form. Being too casual is a more noticeable mistake than being too formal, and it is the easier one to make by accident.
Not necessarily. In casual situations with friends, a verbal thank you is enough. In shops and restaurants, a small nod of the head is common and appreciated but not strictly required. For more formal situations, or when someone has done something significant for you, a proper bow fits better than a nod. If you are unsure, a small nod costs nothing and suits almost any setting. Matching the exact angles in step 5 matters much less than the timing, which is while you say the words or immediately after.
"Arigatou gozaimasu" is long enough that a wobbly version still comes through. The two mistakes worth watching for are emphasizing the wrong syllable and fully voicing the final vowels. It should be ah-ree-GAH-toh, not AH-ree-gah-toh. And a fully voiced ending turns "MAHSS" back into "MAH-soo." Listening to how shop staff say it back to you will fix both faster than drilling the phrase on its own.
Yes. "Sumimasen" (soo-mee-mah-SEN) means "excuse me" but is frequently used as "thank you" when someone has gone to trouble for you. It carries a nuance of "I am sorry for the inconvenience and grateful for your help." You might use it when someone picks up something you dropped or gives you their seat on the train. "Osewa ni narimashita" thanks someone for having looked after you, and it takes the same past ending as step 4, so it belongs at the end of something like leaving a job, closing a project, or saying goodbye to a host. While the support is still going on, the form is "osewa ni natte orimasu." These are more advanced but useful to recognize when you hear them.
Words & Pronunciation
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How to Say Thank You in Japanese
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