would be O-tsukare-sama deshita お疲れ様でした Goodbye. Thank you for your help.
Itte kimasu ネ亍ってきます
Goodbye. I’m off! (lit. I’ll go and come back)
This phrase, whose more polite form is Itte mairimasu 行ってまいります, is used when leaving home. It’s also used during working hours when people temporarily leave their offices. The appropriate response by those remaining would be Itte’ rasshai 行ってら っしやい, (lit. Go and come back).
O-daiji ni お大事に
Take care of your health
This friendly phrase is used when taking leave of the elderly or of someone who is sick or injured.
Go-kigen yō ごきげんよう
Farewell
This can sound either refined or affected depending on the circumstances. Although people rarely say this, it’s occasionally still heard at the end of television shows.
Ja, ki o tsukete じや、気をつけて
Take care
This casual farewell phrase is used between friends. More polite, but still friendly, equivalents are O-ki o tsukete お気をつけて and O-genki de お元気で.
1.06 Expressing Gratitude kansha 感謝
There are several ways to say “thank you”, from informal to very polite. They are:
Arigatō ありがどう
Dōmo arigatō どうもありがどう
Arigatō gozaimasu ありがどうございます, and
Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu どうもありがどうございます.
You can also use the past tense gozaimashita. As a general rule, when the action is happening or will happen, say Arigatō gozaimasu, for example, when you are being handed a present. When the action is completed, say Arigatō gozaimashita, for example, when you have received a present in the mail and are thanking the sender by phone. An appropriate response is Dō itashimashite どういたし まして You’re welcome, or Kochira koso こちらこそ On the contrary, let me thank you.
Sumimasen すみません
Thank you
This is an apology but is often used to thank someone when you’ve put them to some trouble. Similar expressions include: O-tesū o kakemashita お手数を掛けました and ご迷惑をかけました Go-meiwaku o kakemashita. In response, say Dō itashimashite どういたしまして You’re welcome, or O-kamai naku おかまいなく No worries.
O-sewa ni narimashita お世話になりました
I’m obliged to you
This is the best way to thank someone who has spent time helping you. When you want to thank someone who has shown you around, say something like:
• O-sewa ni narimashita. Go-annai itadaite, yokatta desu.
お世話になりました。ご案内いただいて、よかったです。
Thank you very much for all your kindness. It was great having you take us around.
Tasukarimashita 助かりました
You’ve been a great help
If someone has helped you with a translation, you can thank them like this:
• O-kage-sama de shimekiri ni ma-ni-atte, tasukarima shita.
おかげさまで締め切りに間に合って、助かりました。
Thanks to you I made the deadline. You were a great help.
Go-kurō-sama ご苦労様
Thank you for your help
This is a traditional phrase expressing appreciation to someone who has finished working. You can use it to thank someone who’s done a job or service for you. It may be inappropriate when addressing superiors and you might be better off using O-tsukare-sama instead.
O-tsukare-sama お疲れ様
Thank you for your help/work
Originating in the entertainment world this is now interchangeable with Go-kurō-sama, and perhaps more widely used. When a colleague leaves the office to go home and says O-saki ni お先に, respond with O-tsukare-sama.
Kyōshuku desu 恐縮です Osoreiremasu 恐れ入れます
I am very grateful
The literal meaning of these phrases is “I shrink with fear (in the face of your great kindness)”. If someone has unexpectedly done something nice to you, you can offer thanks by saying:
• Sorewa sorewa, dōmo, kyōshuku desu.
それはそれはどうも。恐縮です。
This really is too much. Thank you.
Itadakimasu いただきます
Thank you (lit. I receive)
Everyone says this before starting a meal or snack. Itadakimasu is the humble form of the verb morau, to receive, and is used extensively in respect language.
Gochisō-sama deshita ごちそうさまでした
Thank you (lit. It was a feast)
This is how you say “thank you” when finishing a meal or snack.
1.07 A Few Notes on Respect Language keigo 敬語
Although respect language is a vestige of feudal hierarchy, its function today is not to emphasize differences in status but more to facilitate relationships. It is used most often in business, on formal occasions, and when meeting people for the first time.
For the vast majority of everyday situations, the –masu form of the verb which shows respect to the person you are talking to, is sufficiently polite. So, if you want to ask your girlfriend what time she’s going out, you might say Itsu dekakeru no? いつ出かけるの？ but to ask her father when he is going out, you would say Itsu dekakemasu ka? いつ出かけますか
Polite forms of words, such as ikaga instead of dō, meaning “how”, and dochira instead of dare meaning “who” make speech sound more refined. You’ll find that speech is quite formal in business situations and these polite words are often used to add gravitas to the speech (see the chapter on Business).
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