#1 Communicating a sense of gratitude - Easy Japanese for Work | NHK WORLD-JAPAN (2024)

FAQs

How do Japanese people express gratitude? ›

In Japanese culture, it is common to say "thank you" often and sincerely to express gratitude for even the smallest things. The phrase "arigatou" (ありがとう) is commonly used to say "thank you" in Japanese. It can be used in both formal and informal settings.

Arigatou on its own is a simple, somewhat casual “thank you.” That said, most people prefer doumo arigatou or arigatou gozaimasu as their standard way of saying thanks, because both of those phrases are more polite than arigatou on its own.

Otsukaresama desh*ta. Thank you for your hard work.

"どうもありがとう" (Doumo arigatou) - Thank you very much

If you want to be somewhat polite but not quite as formal, you can add "doumo" before "arigatou." This phrase works for friends, family, and younger people. Combining all three into "doumo arigatou gozaimasu" is extra polite, which we'll get to later.

Bowing is an essential part of Japanese custom to show respect, thanking, greeting or apology. In stead of shaking hands, we bow, and it depends on time and people how long and deep you bow. Generally men keep their hands in their side, and women put their hands together on their thighs with fingers touching.

This act of bowing to show respect and politeness is so common throughout Japan. In Japanese the term for politeness is called, “reigi tadashii” (れいぎただしい). This bowing is often preferred by the Japanese than handshake to show their respect to you, which clearly showed how they were very polite and respectful.

謝 (Sha) means “the expression of one's appreciation or apology.” The left side of this character symbolizes talking and the right side represents a person shooting an arrow.

Both kudasai (ください）and onegaishimasu（お願いします) are Japanese words used when making a request for items. In many cases, these two Japanese words, which translate roughly as "please" or "please give me," are interchangeable. However, there are nuances associated with each word giving each a slightly different meaning.

Say: "It was really kind of you to…," "It really helped me out when you…," "You did me a big favor when…," "Thank you for listening when…," "I really appreciated it when you taught me…," or "Thank you for being there when…." You also can write your gratitude in a letter. Express gratitude by doing a kindness.

Work culture in Japan is based on an intense commitment, ethics, and extreme dedication to the company and the work with an extremely high sense of responsibility. Work culture in Japan also has an extremely process-oriented approach with attention to micro-details.

What do Japanese people say before leaving work? ›

お先に失礼します (Osaki ni sh*tsurei shimasu)

This is also a common workplace phrase, said to coworkers as people leave the office. It means, 'Please excuse me for leaving before you. ' You will sometimes hear people say the shortened version, お先に (osakini). この後、用事があるので、お先に失礼します。

Otsukare sama desh*ta.

Closest English equivalent: You did a good job (implying that the work is over), have a good evening, you've done great work. Usage: This is the past tense of “お疲れ様です” and in this situation implies that the work is finished. You may say this at the end of a presentation, a project, or a meeting.

Domo arigato (どうもありがとう, Dōmo arigatō) (pronounced [doꜜːmo aɾiꜜɡatoː]) is a Japanese phrase meaning "Thanks a lot" or "Thank you very much".

When you buy something at a store, store clerk would say "DOMO ARIGATOU", meaning thank you "very much". You can also use DOMO as a greeting like "hello". And just saying DOMO can mean a casual way of "thank you" like thanks.

Omoiyari is the sympathy and empathy for others that leads to thoughtful action. The key points are anticipating someone's needs and providing for them in advance. To practice omoiyari, you have to think in the other's shoes and give them what they need without verbally expressing it to you.

Bowing is also used to thank, apologize, make a request or ask someone a favor.