Arigato Gozaimasu Meaning: How to Say Thank You in Japanese

Express Your Gratitude in Japanese

Arigato gozaimasu means "thank you" in Japanese. It is the polite form of Arigato and is appropriate for strangers, shop staff, hotel employees, teachers, and most situations while traveling in Japan.

Phrase	Meaning	Formality	When to use
Arigato	Thanks	Casual	Friends/family
Arigato gozaimasu	Thank you	Polite	Most situations
Domo arigato gozaimasu	Thank you very much	Very polite	Stronger gratitude
Arigato gozaimashita	Thank you	Polite/past	After something has finished

Read on to learn more about these Japanese phrases for "thank you," from the correct pronunciation (with audio) and key differences in meaning to proper usage for every situation and how to respond when someone thanks you.

• Table of Contents
• Arigato Gozaimasu: How to Pronounce and When to Use
• Arigato vs. Arigato Gozaimasu
• Domo Arigato vs. Arigato Gozaimasu
• Domo Arigato Gozaimasu: Thank you very much
• Arigato Gozaimashita: Thank you (Past)
• How to Reply to Arigato
• Other Japanese Phrases for Thank You
• How to write Arigato Gozaimasu in Japanese
• Similar Phrases and Mispronunciations
• Review of Japanese Phrases for Thank You

1. Arigato gozaimasu: How to Pronounce and When to Use

Click the Play button above to hear a native speaker pronounce Arigato Gozaimasu

Arigato gozaimasu is the safest and most versatile way to say "thank you" in Japanese. Use it in any situation—whether talking to strangers, elders, service staff, or local friends you meet while traveling. It is the phrase you will use most often on your trip.

The phrase consists of two words:

- Arigato: "grateful" or "thankful"

- Gozaimasu: a polite form of the verb "to be"

Together, arigato gozaimasu translates to "I am grateful" (or "We are grateful" when speaking on behalf of a group), making it suitable for both singular and plural context.

Syllable Breakdown

a-ri-ga-tou go-za-i-ma-su

Pronunciation Notes

[arigato: gozaimas]

- Pitch and Stress: Emphasize "to" in arigato and "ma" in gozaimasu.

- Vowel Duration: The o in "to" is a long vowel (often written as tou or tō).

- Silent Ending: The final u in "gozaimasu" is devoiced, sounding like a soft "s" (go-zai-mas).

Arigato vs. Arigato Gozaimasu

Arigato is a casual phrase so use it only with close friends, family, or people younger than you.

Arigato Gozaimasu is a polite phrase. You can use it widely towards strangers, elders, teachers, co-workers, and service staff (shops, hotels, restaurants).

Is It Rude to Just Say Arigato?

Yes, a simple "Arigato" is rude outside of close personal relationships. While locals are often forgiving of tourists, using Arigato Gozaimasu shows respect and leaves a much better impression.

Domo Arigato vs. Arigato Gozaimasu

Photo by Pixta

Domo means "very" or "much."

Domo Arigato translates to "thank you very much," but without gozaimasu, it remains casual and can sound dismissive or condescending to adults.

Our advice is to use Domo Arigato only with children. For all other adults, always use Domo Arigato Gozaimasu (the most polite version) or simply Arigato Gozaimasu.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu: Thank you very much

Pronunciation: [do:mo arigato: gozaimas]

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu translates to "Thank you very much." Adding domo increases the level of gratitude—in Japanese, longer phrases generally express greater respect and politeness.

Arigato Gozaimashita: Thank you (Past)

Pronunciation: [arigato: gozai mashta]

Use Arigato Gozaimashita when thanking someone after an action or service is completed:

- Upon Leaving: Say this as you finish a tour, check out of a hotel, or leave a shop after making a purchase.

- In Follow-Up Emails: Use this when writing to someone who helped you earlier or after returning home.

While standard Arigato Gozaimasu is for ongoing or immediate actions, Arigato Gozaimashita reflects gratitude for something that has already concluded.

How to Reply to Arigato

To respond to "Thank you" in Japanese, use one of the following phrases.

Ie ie / No no (Not at all, No problem)

[ieie]
Ie, ie literally means "no, no," and is the most natural, everyday response to thank you. It downplays the favor to keep the other person from feeling indebted—similar to saying "no worries" or "don't mention it."

Textbooks feature "Dou itashimashite" as a phrase for "You're welcome," but native speakers rarely use this in modern conversation. It can sound slightly formal, unnatural, or even overly stiff.

Tondemonai desu / Don't mention it

[tondemo nai des]

"Tondemonai" literally means "No reason" or "Nonsense," so Tondemonai desu is a polite way of saying "Don't mention it" as a reply to being offered thanks.

If you want to express reciprocal thanks in Japanese, try using Kochira koso arigato gozaimashita, which means "The pleasure is all mine."

There are various ways of replying to Arigato gozaimasu. It might be fun to write down as a memo to yourself what different people say when you say your thanks to them.

Other Japanese Phrases for Thank You

Hontoni arigato gozaimasu / Thank you so much

[honto:ni arigato: gozaimas]

If you want to emphasize your appreciation, you can say Hontoni arigato gozaimasu. If you want to be a little more casual, you can say Hontoni arigato [honto:ni arigato:].

"Hontoni" means "truly", "really."

A similar phrase is Makotoni arigato gozaimasu, in which "makotoni" means "sincerely."

Iroiro arigato gozaimashita / Thank you for everything

[iroiro arigato: gozai mashta]

If someone helped you out with various things throughout your trip, you can try saying Iroiro arigato gozaimashita.
It's casual form is "iroiro arigato".

The word "iroiro" means "various things", "many things", or even "everything". This is a general phrase you can use to thank someone for more than one situation.

Osewa ni narimashita / Thank you very much for everything

[osewa ni narimashta]

"Osewa" means help, aid, assistance, and "osewa ni naru" means "being taken care of", "being assisted properly."

If you stay at a Japanese guesthouse and your host is kindly cooking for you or making sure that you have all you need, at the end of your visit, try to thank them with Osewa ni narimashita.

While polite, this phrase is a little more personal than Arigato gozaimasu. If you say Osewa ni narimashita, you're thanking that person for their kindness, not only for doing their duty as part of their work.

Kansha shiteimasu / I'm grateful to you

[kansha shite imas]

"Kansha" is the Japanese word for "gratitude" so Kansha shiteimasu means "I'm grateful to you", "You have my gratitude."

You can use this phrase after saying Arigato gozaimasu in order to emphasize the degree of your gratitude.

Orei wo moushiagemasu / Allow me to express my thanks

[ore: wo mo:shi agemas]

"Orei" means "thanks" and combined with "moushiagemasu," which means "to say," this phrase literally means "I give you my humble thanks."

Kaiseki cuisine at Asakusa Saryo Ichimatsu. Picture courtesy of Wabunka

This is a highly formal phrase that you can use, for example, if someone in Japan took you to a high-class Japanese restaurant (ryotei) and offered you the chance to taste kaiseki cuisine.

Dining at a ryotei is a very expensive affair, usually kept for anniversaries and special occasions. If a Japanese acquaintance was kind enough to invite you to a ryotei, thank them for this precious opportunity with Orei wo moushiagemasu.

Kokoro kara orei wo moushiagemasu is what you can use to show your utmost gratitude because "kokoro kara" means "from the bottom of my heart."

Sumimasen / Sorry for your trouble

[sumimasen]

Sumimasen is a polite way to apologize for the trouble that someone took to assist you, so it counts as a way to express gratitude.

Gomen (Casual)

Gomen has the same meaning as Sumimasen, but it can only be used between friends.

If you say "sumimasen" or "gomen" (both meaning "sorry) along with "arigato gozaimasu", you will sound more polite.

Examples:

Arigato gozaimasu, sumimasen.
Arigato, gomen.

While sumimasen and gomen both mean "sorry," Japanese speakers frequently use sumimasen to express "thank you."

This combines gratitude with an acknowledgment of the time, effort, or money someone spent to help you. Saying sumimasen (often followed by arigato gozaimasu) shows appreciation for the other person's trouble on your behalf.

Sankyu / Azassu / Domo - Thanks!

[san kyu] [azass] [do:mo]

Sankyu, Azassu, and Domo are casual ways of saying "Thanks!" to your buddies in Japan.

- Sankyu is a playful pronunciation of "Thank you!"

- Azassu is an abbreviated and very casual form of Arigatou gozaimasu.

- Domo originates in Domo arigato gozaimasu, which we introduced above.

Photo by Pixta

Please be aware, though, that you have to be really close friends with someone to use these casual phrases.

For example, after taking part in an izakaya bar-hopping tour where you enjoyed several drinks with Japanese participants and helped each other reach the nearest station safely, you could say that your bond is strong enough to tell them "Azassu"!

How to write Arigato Gozaimasu in Japanese

In Hiragana, arigato gozaimasu is written ありがとうございます, and arigato is ありがとう.

While occasionally written in Kanji as 有難う御座います, this formal script is rare in daily life, so using Hiragana is standard practice.

Similar Phrases and Mispronunciations

Arigato gozaimasu is easy to mispronounce. However, you shouldn't be worried.

The "u" at the end of "gozaimasu" is not usually pronounced, so "arigato gozaimas" is perfectly correct!

On the other hand, arigato sai mas might not come through unless you accompany it with a bow or a deep nod that suggests gratitude.

Azamas is also a mispronunciation, but it's been used so often in casual speech that it became another way of saying thank you among friends, just like "azasu."

Our advice would be not to worry much about pronunciation as long as your gestures are polite and convey gratitude.

Review of Japanese Phrases for Thank You

1. Arigato gozaimasu! / Thank you!
[arigato: gozaimas]

2. Domo arigato gozaimashita / Thank you very much
[do:mo arigato: gozaimas]

3. Hontoni arigato gozaimasu / Thank you so much
[honto:ni arigato: gozaimas]

4. Arigato gozaimashita / Thank you (Past)
[arigato: gozai mashta]

5. Iroiro arigato gozaimashita / Thank you for everything
[iroiro arigato: gozai mashta]

6. Osewa ni narimashita / Thank you very much for everything
[osewa ni narimashta]

7. Kansha shiteimasu / I'm grateful to you
[kansha shite imas]

8. Orei wo moushiagemasu / I give you my humble thanks
[ore: wo mo:shi agemas]

9. Sumimasen / Sorry.
[sumimasen]

10. Sankyu / Azassu / Domo - Thanks!
[san kyu] [azass] [do:mo]

11. Ie ie / No, no. (Not at all/No problem)
[ieie]

12. Tondemonai desu / Don't mention it
[tondemo nai des]

Use these phrases to express your gratitude in a variety of situations in Japan.