When you visit Japan, even if you don’t know a lot of Japanese, it would be nice if you could express your gratitude in Japanese. “Arigato gozaimasu” and “Domo arigato” are words you might often hear. However, there are many ways to say “thank you” in Japanese, and you may be confused about the best expression to use in any given situation. Here, I would like to introduce some of the expressions used to express gratitude in Japan, as well as suitable situations and the origin of the words.
“ありがとう（Arigato)” is usually written in hiragana, but when written in kanji, it becomes “有難う”. The word “arigato” is a variation of the adjective “arigatashi,” which means something that rarely happens. In “Makuranososhi(the pillow book)” written in the Heian period (794-1185), “Arigatakimono” was used to describe things that rarely happen, such as a daughter-in-law who is praised by her mother-in-law, a worker who never speaks badly of his boss, and a person with no flaws. At that time, the word was not used to express gratitude, but to mean something that rarely happens.
Later, with the spread of Buddhism in Japan, the meaning changed. It came to be used to express gratitude for miracles (rare and precious things) caused by the gods and Buddha, and from the Muromachi period (1336-1573), it gradually came to be used as a word of thanks. However, in the beginning, the word was used in its original meaning of “thank you very much” to express gratitude to the gods and Buddha when something precious and hard to obtain was obtained through their mercy.
It was gradually simplified into the current form of “Domo arigato” and “Arigato gozaimasu”, and came to be widely used in daily life as a general expression of gratitude.
Incidentally, there is a theory that the word originated from the Portuguese word “obrigado,” but this is a myth, and it is said to have originated from the change in language since the Heian period mentioned above.
When you say these thank you phrases, you don’t just say the words, you may also bow at the same time. You may have wondered why a Japanese employee bowed to you at a Japanese inn or other places on a trip. In the West, people bow to royalty by getting down on one knee, but in Japan, bowing is done on a daily basis in a different way. It is done in various situations such as when thanking, greeting, or apologizing, and it is also done to older people, customers, and strangers. For example, bowing while saying “arigato gozaimasu” to your boss or customer is a common sight in Japanese business scenes. This bowing shows the other person that you are not against them, and that you trust them, by showing your head, your vital point, to them.
“Arigato” is a word to express gratitude. There are many ways to say it, and the slight difference changes the nuance of the word, so Japanese people use the word in different ways depending on various situations and who you are talking to. In addition, bowing together gives a more polite impression. This kind of behavior can be found in shrines and temples as well as in Japanese food manners, and just one word or action of “Arigato” shows that Japanese culture is profound. However, the important thing is not to pay too much attention to the different nuances of the words, but to be grateful. I’m sure the person you say it to will be very happy to hear it.
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Origin and meaning of “Thank you”
“ありがとう（Arigato)” is usually written in hiragana, but when written in kanji, it becomes “有難う”. The word “arigato” is a variation of the adjective “arigatashi,” which means something that rarely happens. In “Makuranososhi(the pillow book)” written in the Heian period (794-1185), “Arigatakimono” was used to describe things that rarely happen, such as a daughter-in-law who is praised by her mother-in-law, a worker who never speaks badly of his boss, and a person with no flaws. At that time, the word was not used to express gratitude, but to mean something that rarely happens.
Later, with the spread of Buddhism in Japan, the meaning changed. It came to be used to express gratitude for miracles (rare and precious things) caused by the gods and Buddha, and from the Muromachi period (1336-1573), it gradually came to be used as a word of thanks. However, in the beginning, the word was used in its original meaning of “thank you very much” to express gratitude to the gods and Buddha when something precious and hard to obtain was obtained through their mercy.
It was gradually simplified into the current form of “Domo arigato” and “Arigato gozaimasu”, and came to be widely used in daily life as a general expression of gratitude.
Incidentally, there is a theory that the word originated from the Portuguese word “obrigado,” but this is a myth, and it is said to have originated from the change in language since the Heian period mentioned above.
7 ways to express thank you
Thank you very much[arigato gozaimasu].
“Arigato gozaimasu” is a polite way of expressing gratitude. It is made up of the adjective “arigatai,” which means to be thankful, and “gozaimasu,” which is a polite expression of the auxiliary verb “aru”. The ending of “arigatai” is changed to “arigato” because the ending of “arigataku,” the conjunctive form of “arigatai,” is in the u sound. This “arigato gozaimasu” is basically used while you are traveling in Japan to express your gratitude. Most of the people you talk to while traveling are strangers to you. For example, when you want to thank staff at a store or a hotel, it is better to start by saying, “Arigato gozaimasu”.Thank you [arigato].
When expressing gratitude, “arigato” is also often used. However, “arigato” is a casual word used only for family members, lovers, and friends who are the same age or younger than you, so you should always use “arigato gozaimasu” for strangers, close but older people, especially teachers and bosses.Thank you very much[domo arigato/ domo arigato gozaimasu].
In some cases, “domo” is added to “arigato” to say “domo arigato”. Adding “domo” to “arigato” gives a polite impression. You can also add “domo” to “arigato gozaimasu” to make it more polite. As with the above, “domo arigato” is based on “arigato,” so it is used in a casual way with friends or younger people. “Domo arigato gozaimasu” is more polite and can be used for staff at a store, strangers and bosses, etc.I really thank you [hontoni arigato gozaimasu].
If you want to emphasize your gratitude, you can add “hontoni(really)” to it. If you want to say it more casually to a friend or younger person, “hontoni arigato”.Thank you very much [arigato gozaimashita].
When you want to say thank you after something you are helped, such as after a sales clerk has taught you something, or to someone who has taken care of you for a day, you should use the past tense “arigato gozaimashita” instead of “arigato gozaimasu”. For example, if you came to Japan on a trip and wrote an e-mail to someone who took care of you after you returned to your home country, you would say “arigato gozaimashita” because you are thanking them for something that happened in the past.Thank you for everything [iroiro arigato gozaimashita]
If you have been helped by someone a lot during your trip, you may say, “iroiro arigato gozaimashita. The word “iroiro” can be used to indicate that you have been helped in more ways than just “arigato. “The word “iroiro” means “many things” or “anything and everything”.Sorry[sumimasen]
You can use “sumimasen” or “gomen” together with “arigato gozaimasu” to make it more polite. “Sumimasen” and “gomen” are well known phrases for apologizing, but why do Japanese people say “sumimasen” in addition to “arigato gozaimasu” when expressing gratitude? This is to emphasize our gratitude by expressing our apologies for the acts and burdens that the other person has done for us. Especially when the other person has spent time or money on you, using “sumimasen” or “Gomen” along with “arigato gozaimasu” will show your good character.No, no, no [ieie].
The most common response to “arigato gozaimasu” is “ieie”. Although some people may have learned that the reply to “arigato gozaimasu” is “do itashimashite(You’re welcome),” in fact, “ieie” is probably more commonly used in daily life than “do itashimashite”. However, it is important to note that if you say it bluntly, it may give the bad impression to the other person, so try to say it with a smile. The way people respond to “arigato gozaimasu” varies from person to person, so it would be interesting to get some statistics on how Japanese people respond when you say “arigato gozaimasu”.bow while giving thanks
When you say these thank you phrases, you don’t just say the words, you may also bow at the same time. You may have wondered why a Japanese employee bowed to you at a Japanese inn or other places on a trip. In the West, people bow to royalty by getting down on one knee, but in Japan, bowing is done on a daily basis in a different way. It is done in various situations such as when thanking, greeting, or apologizing, and it is also done to older people, customers, and strangers. For example, bowing while saying “arigato gozaimasu” to your boss or customer is a common sight in Japanese business scenes. This bowing shows the other person that you are not against them, and that you trust them, by showing your head, your vital point, to them.
“Thank you” shows the national character of the Japanese people
“Arigato” is a word to express gratitude. There are many ways to say it, and the slight difference changes the nuance of the word, so Japanese people use the word in different ways depending on various situations and who you are talking to. In addition, bowing together gives a more polite impression. This kind of behavior can be found in shrines and temples as well as in Japanese food manners, and just one word or action of “Arigato” shows that Japanese culture is profound. However, the important thing is not to pay too much attention to the different nuances of the words, but to be grateful. I’m sure the person you say it to will be very happy to hear it.
I’ll show you how to express your gratitude in Japanese.
