Is ありがとう rude? How to say Thank you in Japanese
Saying thank you in Japanese as any language is important. Japanese however adds a level of complication with all the ways you can say thank you. Depending on who you are with and the level of politeness needed you will want a few words to say for thank you.
Today though, let’s look at just the difference between ありがとうございます and ありがとう.
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ありがとうございます vs. ありがとう
ありがとうございます is how to say Thank you in Japanese. It is not a word-for-word translation with Thank you but on the level of politeness, they are about the same.
If you say ありがとう it is closer to Thanks on the politeness scale.
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Not only that but some people may consider ありがとう to be too informal for the situation that it is impolite. Others may think that you are being too friendly with them and feel degraded, offended or disrespected.
When should you use ありがとうございます
Think of this as the default way of saying Thank you. No one will be offended if you use ありがとうございます. If you are in any formal situation, or with people you don’t know that well it is always good to use ありがとうございます.
Are there times you should not use ありがとうございます?
Not really, but if you are with friends or other people in your close circle which you have become accustom to saying ありがとう with it will be weird to suddenly revert back to ありがとうございます. Also, if you are thanking someone for something in the past then you would use ありがとうございました.
ありがとうございます vs. ありがとうございました
When should you use ありがとう?
You should use it with friends, family or informal situations with other social peers. Think of it like saying “Thanks” when someone lends you a pencil, brings you a glass of water, holds the door for you or whatever.
What if I use ありがとう When I shouldn’t?
Most people won’t make that big of a deal out of it. Some people don’t really care either way. Especially towards non-natives, Japanese people will usually just assume you don’t understand the difference and let it slide. It is a personal thing but for me, to be on the safe side I always use ありがとうございます when unsure.
It is always better to say something than nothing at all
If ありがとうございます just has too many syllables and you don’t have the energy to get to the end then go withありがとう. Japanese people are more critical of getting no response than a response that is too informal. You will be seen as much more polite for always says ありがとう no matter the situation, than knowing the right time to use ありがとう and ありがとうございます but choosing to say thank you only some of the time.
If you are interested in learning even more, I have reviewed what I consider the best resource for Japanese Grammar below:
