The most common way to say "thank you" in Japanese is ありがとう (Arigatou). It is used in casual settings among friends, family, and peers. To be more polite, especially when speaking to strangers, superiors, or in formal situations, the phrase becomes ありがとうございます (Arigatou gozaimasu) , which means "thank you" in a polite form. For past actions, you can say ありがとうございました (Arigatou gozaimashita) , which thanks someone for something done in the past. Other variations include:
- どうも (Doumo) — a casual "Thanks!"
- どうもありがとう (Doumo arigatou) — a more polite "Thank you very much"
- どうもありがとうございます (Doumo arigatou gozaimasu) — very polite "Thank you very much"
- 本当にありがとうございます (Hontoni arigatou gozaimasu) — "Really, thank you very much," adding extra emphasis.
These phrases reflect different levels of formality and politeness depending on the context and relationship between the speaker and listener.
