Japanese word

ありがとう

Pronunciation

Romajiarigatō

Meaning

  • interjectionthank you

Example

母にありがとうと言います。haha ni a ri ga tō to i i ma su

I say thank you to my mother.

Illustration for ありがとう (thank you)

More examples

手伝ってくれて、ありがとうございます。te tsuda tte ku re te a ri ga tō go za i ma su

Thank you for helping me.

今日は来てくれて、ありがとうございます。kyō wa ki te ku re te a ri ga tō go za i ma su

Thank you for coming today.

Core concept

It marks a speaker's recognition of another person's kindness, help, or gift.

Common phrases

  • ありがとうございますa ri ga tō go za i ma su

    Thank you

Similar words

ありがとうございますarigatōgozaimasu: A polite expression used when thanking teachers, customers, or strangers.
どうもdōmo: A short expression that conveys thanks in familiar conversation.

Definition in Japanese

親切や助力を受けた相手に感謝を伝える言葉。shin setsu ya jo ryoku o u ke ta ai te ni kan sha o tsuta e ru koto ba

Word origin

ありがとう (arigatō) developed from ありがたく (arigataku), the adverbial form of ありがたい (arigatai, "grateful"), which originally meant something rare or hard to obtain.

Usage tips

  • ありがとう (arigatō) is common in familiar conversation, while ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) adds politeness and is common with teachers, customers, and strangers.

Word lists with this word