101 Ways - How to Say Thank You in Japanese (AUDIO)

Hi Junkies!

Stop. First you don’t need 101 ways on how to say thank you in Japanese. Here are the only phrases in Japanese you need to know. The rest are for the smart, curious people (are you one of them?)

Doumo – どうも
1. Thanks (super casual – only with friends)
Arigatou – ありがとう
1. Thank you (casual, okay to use with most people)
Arigatou gozaimasu – ありがとうございます
1. Thank you very much (polite, standard, most common way to say it – the SAFEST phrase to use)
Arigatou gozaimashita – ありがとうございました
1. Thank you very much (MORE polite, because it’s in past tense).

Here’s a bonus Japanese audio lesson on saying thank you in Japanese. Press the play button on the black player below to hear the native pronunciation and repeat along. You will improve your listening and speaking skills as a result. If you want more lessons like this, go to JapanesePod101.com, which is a complete Japanese learning program with audio/video lessons.

JapanesePod101 Survival Phrases Lesson – Thank You

That’s all you need. But, if you want to be a little smarter in Japanese, here’s the “101 ways” lesson.

So, why am I giving you 101 ways on how to say thank you in Japanese?

Because I’m crazy. And because you’ll love all the Japanese learning here.

Look, If you want to be a smart Japanese speaker – you need variety. You can’t use the same phrase again and again like a parrot. Best of all, you’ll sound like a native. Good? Good. Take this lesson & learn some thankful Japanese phrases!

Read & review: SUCCESS comes from repetition & practice!!
Understand it all with English translations
Learn tons of phrases related to “Thank you” and “gratitude”
Print it out as physical review material (I do this a lot)
Download the PDF lesson for your own review on your mobile device. (find it at the bottom)

101 Ways – How to Say Thank You in Japanese

1. お礼の申し上げようもない。

Orei no moshiageyou mo nai.
I cannot thank you enough.
Note: super polite

2. お礼の申し上げようもありません。

Orei no moshiageyou mo arimasen.
I can never thank you enough.
Note: Super polite

3. お礼の申しようもありません。

Orei no moshiyou mo arimasen
I cannot thank you enough.
Note: Super polite

4. ありがとう。神様の祝福を。そして神様がアメリカ合衆国を祝福しますように。

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
Arigatou. Kamisama no shukufuku. Soshite kamisama ga Amerika gasshuukoku wo shufuku shimasu you ni.

5. ご親切にはお礼の申しようもありません。

I cannot thank you enough for your kindness.
Goshinsetsu ni wa orei no moushiyou mo arimasen.

6. ご助力に対してはお礼の申しようもありません。

I cannot thank you enough for your assistance.
Gojouryoku ni tashite wa orei no moushiyou mo arimasen.

7. 日本語で「Thankyou」は何て言うんですか。

How do you say “Thank you” in Japanese?
Nihongo de wa “Thank You” wa nante iun desu ka?

8. 元気です、貴方は？

Fine, thank you. And you?
Genki desu, anata wa?

9. 色々と有り難うございます。忘れないように彼はそれを書き留めた。

Thank you very much for everything. He wrote it down lest he should forget it.
Iroiro to arigatou gozaimasu. Wasurenai you ni kare wa sore wo kakitometa.

10. ありがとうブラザー。

Thank you, brother(s).
Arigatou, buraza-.

11. 大変お世話になりました。

Thank you very much for all you have done.
Taihen osewa ni narimashita.

12. お疲れさまでした。

Thank you (for your hard work).
Otsukare sama deshita.

13. どうもありがとうございます！

Thank you very much!
Doumo arigatou gozaimasu!

14. プレゼントをありがとう。

Thank you for your present.
Purezento wo arigatou

15. 本当にありがとう。

Thank you very much.
Hontou ni arigatou.

16. 紹介ありがとう。

Thank you for the introduction.
Shoukai arigatou.

17. ありがとうございます。でもご遠慮いたします。

Thanks, but no thanks.
Arigatou gozaimasu. Demo go enryo itashimasu.

18. 本当にどうも。

Hontou ni doumo.
Many thanks.

19. 本当にありがとう!

Heartfelt thanks!
Hontou ni arigatou!

20. ありがとうございます！

Thanks a lot!
Arigatou gozaimasu!

Alright, you made it through the first 20! As you can see… there aren’t really 101 DIFFERENT ways on how to say thank you in Japanese.

Basically, you get a TON of phrases related to “thanking” and showing “gratitude.” All great to know if you’re even remotely interested in speaking Japanese.

21. とにかく有難う。

Thanks anyway.
Tonikaku arigatou.

31 招待ありがとう。

Thanks for the invite.
Shoutai arigatou.

22. 色々ありがとう。

Thanks again for everything.
Iroiro arigatou.

23. 永田さんのおかげです。

Thanks to Mr Nagata.
Nagata-san no okage desu.

24. お返事ありがとう。

Thanks for your reply.
Ohenji arigatou.

25. おいしい食事をありがとう。

Thanks for the delicious meal.
Oishii shokuji wo arigatou.

26. ごくろうさまでした。

Thanks for the hard work.
Gokurou sama deshita.

27. 説明してくれてありがとう。

Thanks for your explanation.
Setsuimei shite kurete arigatou.

28. 今夜は来てくれてありがとう。

Thanks for coming over tonight.
Konban wa kite kurete arigatou.

29. ご親切本当にありがとう。

A thousand thanks for your kindness.
Goshinsetsu hontou ni arigatou.

30. ぶつぶつと礼を言った。

He grunted his thanks.
Butsubutsu to rei wo itta.

31. ありがとう、それだけだよ。

Thanks, that’s all.
Arigatou, sore dake dayo.

32. ありがとう。では、またね。

Thanks. See you next time.
Arigatou. De wa, mata ne.

33. 毎度、またいらっしゃい。

Thanks, please come again.
Maido, mata irrashai.

34. ありがとう、雪名。

Thanks, Yukina.
Arigatou, Yukina.

35. 好意だけ受け取っておく。

Thanks, though. I appreciate it.
Koui dake uketotte oku.

36. あんたのせいで食欲をなくしたよ。

Thanks to you I’ve lost my appetite.
Anta no sei de shokuyoku wo nakushitayo.
Note: This is rude.

36. ありがとう、もう結構です。

Thanks I’m fine.
Arigatou. Mou kekkou desu.

38. 前もってお礼を申しあげておきます。

Thanks in advance.
Mae motto orei wo moshiagete okimasu.

39. 彼女はありがとうとおじぎした。

She bowed in thanks.
Kanojo wa arigatou to ojigi shita.

You’re almost at 40! Almost halfway through the 101 Ways – How to Say Thank You in Japanese lesson. Which of these do you like? Be sure to leave a comment below.

40. お心遣いどうもありがとうございます。

Thanks so much for your good thoughts.
Okokoru tzugai doumo arigatou gozaimasu.

41. 私はとても彼らに感謝している。

I am grateful to them.
Watashi wa totemo karera ni kasha shiteiru.

42. あなたの親切に感謝します。

I am grateful to you for your kindness.
Anata no shinsetsu ni kansha shimasu.

43. ご好意を深く感謝します。

I am deeply grateful to you for your kindness.
Go koui wo fukaku kansha shimasu.

44. 彼はあなたの手助けにしていた。

He was grateful for your help.
Kare wa anata no tedasuke ni shitaita.

45. あなたのご援助に感謝しています。

I am grateful to you for your help.
Anata no go enjo ni kansha shiteimasu.

46. お心づかいに厚くお礼申し上げます。

I’m very grateful for your sympathy.
O kokoro tzugai ni atsuku o rei moushiagemasu.

47. 私はニックの親切に感謝していた。

I was most grateful to Nick for his kindness.
Watashi wa nikku no shinsetsu ni kasha shiteita.

48. 私たちはその人に大変感謝しています。

We are very grateful to those people.
Watashitachi wa sono hito ni taihen kansha shiteimasu.

49. 明日までいてくださると嬉しいのですが。

I should be grateful if you would stay until tomorrow.
Ashita made ite kudasaru to ureshii desu ga.

50. 私たちはあなたのご親切に感謝しています。

We are grateful to you for your kindness.
Watashitachi wa anata no goshinsetsu ni kansha shiteimasu.

Alright, halfway point to learning 101 ways on how to say thank you in Japanese! You’re smart so you notice some words are REPEATED. Like kansha (meaning thanks or gratitude) and orei (more formal way of saying thanks).

By the way, notice that… you can use a LOT of these phrases in conversations. Very useful for any Japanese learner. Keep going.

51. パーティーに招いていただき感謝いたします。

I am grateful to you for inviting me to the party.
Pa-ti- ni maneite itadaki kansha itashimasu.

52. 雇用主は彼の協力に心から感謝した。

His employer was sincerely grateful for his cooperation.
Kouyomeshu wa kare no kyouryoku ni kokoro kara kansha shita.

53. 私はどんなに感謝しているか表現できない。

I can’t express how grateful I am.
Watashi wa donna ni kansha shiteiru ka hyougen dekinai.

54. お手伝いいただければたいへん有り難いと思います。

I would be very grateful if you would help me.
Otetsudai itadakereba taihen arigatou to omoimasu.

55. 彼は、きわめて当然のことだが、彼らにとても感謝している。

He is, quite rightly, very grateful to them.
Kare wa, kiwamete touzen no koto ga, karera ni totemo kansha shiteiru.

56. あなたの御援助に対して私達は感謝しています。

We are grateful to you for your help.
Anata no go enjo ni taishite watashitachi wa kansha shiteimasu.

57. ご親切本当にありがとう。

A thousand thanks for your kindness.
Goshinsetsu hontou ni arigatou.

58. 彼の忠告のおかげで、私はたくさんのお金を節約した。

Thanks to his advice, I have saved a lot of money.
Kare no chuukoku no okage de, watashi wa takusan no okane wo setsuyaku shita.

59. 電話では、ありがとうございました。

Thank you very much for your time on the phone.
Denwa de wa, arigatou gozaimashita.

60. 迎えに来てくれてありがとう。

Thank you very much for coming to see me.
Mukae ni kite kurete arigatou.

61. 心づくしの品を頂きありがとうございます。

Thank you very much for your thoughtful present.
Kokoro tsukushi no shina wo itadaki arigatou gozaimasu.

62. ご馳走様でした。

Thanks for paying for the meal.
Gochisou sama deshita.

63. お、ありがと。気が利くね。

Oh, thanks! How thoughtful.
O, arigatou. Ki ga kiku ne.

64. 彼女の笑顔が感謝の気持ちを表した。

Her smile expressed her thanks.
Kanojo no egao ga kansha no kimochi wo arawashita.

65. ※誤字直しました。ご指摘サンクスです。

NOTE: Typo corrected. Thanks for pointing it out.
※ Goji naoshimashita. Goshiteki sankusu desu.

66. 彼女は贈り物に対して感謝の気持ちを表した。

She expressed her thanks for the present.
Kanojo wa okurimono ni taishite, kansha no kimochi wo arawashita.

67. 彼女は感謝の印としてその申し出をした。

She made that offer by way of thanks.
Kanojo wa kansha no shirushi toshite sono moushide wo shita.

68. 彼の骨折りでこの会はできた。

Thanks to his initiative this association has been formed.
Kare no honeori de kono kai wa dekita.

69. 君のおかげで仕事は旨く行きました。

Thanks to you, the job went well.
Kimi no okage de shigoto wa umaku ikimashita.

70. 彼らのおかげで私はやっと元気になった。

Thanks to them, I got well at last.
Karera no okage de watashi wa hatto genki ni natta.

71. 息子さんに僕からありがとうと伝えてください。

Give my thanks to your son.
Musuko-san ni boku kara arigatou to tsutaete kudasai.

72. 彼の手助けのおかげで、私は宿題を終わった。

Thanks to his help, I finished my homework.
Kare no tetasuke no okage de, watashi wa shukudai wo owatta.

73. 同僚を代表して謝辞を述べます。

I would like to express our thanks on behalf of my colleagues.
Douryou wo daihyou shite shaji wo nobemasu.

74. 彼女にくれぐれも御礼を言っておいてください。

Please give my best thanks to her.
Kanajo ni kureguremo orei wo itte oite kudasai.

75. マイク、ありがとう。僕はチキンが嫌いなんだ。

Maiku, arigatou. Boku wa chikin ga kirainda.
Thanks, Mike. I don’t like chicken.

76. 私の成功は君が助けてくれたおかげです。

Watashi no seikou wa kimi ga tasukete kureta okage desu.
Thanks to your help, I have succeeded.

77. 私が成功したのは彼の助言があったからだ。

It was thanks to his advice that I succeeded.
Watashi ga seikou shita no wa kare no jogen dakara da.

78. 豪雨のために、野菜の値段が急激に上がった。

Thanks to the heavy rain, vegetable prices rose sharply.
Gouu no tame ni, yasai no nedan ga kyuugeki ni agatta.

79. あなたの援助のおかげで、私たちはうまくいった。

Thanks to your help, we were successful.
Anata no enjo no okage de, watashitachi wa umaku itta.

Inside these “how to say thank you in japanese” phrases, you’ll notice “thanks to” which can also mean “because of” or “due to.” Here’s a tip – if it’s “okage de” – it’s a good thanks. If it’s “no sei,” you’re not thanking them, you’re BLAMING them.

For example:

Mike no sei de, asobinakatta – No thanks to Mike (for whatever terrible thing he did), I didn’t go out.

80.「お飲み物はいかがですか？」「すいません、いいです」

“Would you like something to drink?” “No, but thanks for offering.”
“Onomimono wa ikaga desu ka?” “Suimasen, iidesu.”

81. 「今朝は調子はいかがですか」「かなりいいですよ、ありがとう」

“Kesa wa choushi wa ikaga desu ka?” “Kanari ii desu yo, arigatou.”
“How are you feeling this morning?” “Pretty good, thanks.”

82. ご手配ありがとうございます。

Thank you for making the arrangements.
Go tei arigatou gozaimasu.

83. お手紙ありがとうございます。

Thank you for your letter.
Otegami arigatou gozaimasu.

84. お取引ありがとうございます。

Thank you for your business.
O torihiki arigatou gozaimasu.

85. 私はもうおなかがいっぱいです、ありがとうございます。

I’m already full, thank you.
Watashi wa mou onaka ga ippai desu, arigatou gozaimasu.

86. 君の失敗はジムのせいだ。

Kimi no shippai wa jimu no sei da.
You have Jim to thank for your failure.

87. 電話してくれてありがとう。

Thank you for calling.
Denwa shite kurete arigatou.

88. 教えていただいてありがとう。

Thank you for the information.
Oshiete itadaite arigatou.

89. お骨折り感謝いたします。

Thank you for your trouble.
O honeori kansha itashimasu.

90. お礼の言葉もありません。

I have no words to thank you.
O rei no kotoba mo arimasen.

91. 少なくとも「ありがとう」くらい言ってくれてもいいのに。

You might at least say thank you.
Sukunaku to mo “arigatou” kurai itte kurete mo ii no ni.

92. 君は彼に感謝すべきだ。

You ought to thank him.
Kimi wa kare ni kansha subeki da.

93. 「ありがとう。」「どういたしまして。」

“Thank you.” “You are welcome”.
Arigatou. Dou itashimashite.

94. ありがとう。また、次の日にくるようにします。

Thanks. Maybe we’ll come back.
Arigatou. Mata, tsugi no hi ni kuru you ni shimasu.

95. 私には感謝の気持ちの表し方がわかりません。

I don’t know how to express my thanks.
Watashi ni wa kansha no kimochi no arashikata ga wakarimasen.

96. この前の晩は、夕食に誘っていただき、ありがとうございました。

Thanks very much for having me to dinner the other night.
Kono mae no ban wa, yuushoku ni sasotte itadaki, arigatou gozaimashita.

97. 良いことを聞いた！今度試してみようっと！

Thanks for the tip. I’ll give it a try.
Yoi koto wo kiita. Kondo tameshite miyoutto.

98. ご清聴ありがとうございました。

Thank you for listening.
Go seichou arigatou gozaimashita.

99. すばらしい食事をありがとう。

Thank you for the wonderful meal.
Subarashii shokuji wo arigatou.

100. アドバイスありがとうございます。

Thank you for your advice.
Adobaisu arigatou gozaimasu.

101. 先日はどうもありがとう。

Thank you for the other day.
Senjitsu wa doumo arigatou.

And that’s it. Now you know the top 101 ways on how to say thank you in Japanese. You’re right – some of these aren’t exactly “thanking” anyone – but they use the word. And it’s ALL good to know.

Let me know what you think.

Tell me what your favorite phrase was out of all of the “How to Say Thank You in Japanese” phrases. Leave a comment below.

Want the PDF version of 101 Ways – How to Say Thank You in Japanese? Click on the image below. The benefit of the PDF is that you can save it on your phone and read it like an e-book.

Be sure to review this lesson, print, tell a friend and send it those interested in Japanese language.

– The Main Junkie

P.S. I highly recommend this for Japanese learners. If you REALLY want to learn Japanese with 2,000+ easy video/audio lessons & courses by Japanese teachers – Sign up for free at JapanesePod101 (click here) and start learning!