Typically, “you’re welcome” in Japanese language textbooks or translation apps is dōitashimashite (どういたしまして). But it’s more common to respond to arigatō (thank you) with iie (いいえ; not at all) or tondemonai koto desu (don’t mention it). Think about how often you say “no worries” instead of “you’re welcome” in English. It’s a similar difference!
Japanese culture values good manners and being mindful of your words, so knowing how to respond to “thank you” in Japanese in every situation is important. That includes knowing the best way to convey “you’re welcome” in Japanese for the situation.
Table of Contents
Use dōitashimashite to say ‘you’re welcome’ to friends, family, or strangers
Dōitashimashite (doh-ee-tah-shee-mahsh-teh) is Japanese for “you’re welcome,” although the implicit meaning is closer to “there’s no need to thank me.”
- Dōitashimashite.（どういたしまして。）= You’re welcome.
It’s okay to use this expression when you receive thanks from friends, family, and strangers, but you should not use dōitashimashite when talking to someone above your status (like your boss), as it can come off as rude.
In general, there are better, more precise expressions to use than dōitashimashite for nearly every situation.
Give a general response to thanks from anyone with iie (no need to thank me)
Although iie (ee-eh) is the standard way to say “no” in Japanese, it can also be used to reply to an expression of gratitude by meaning something like “no need to thank me.” You might pair it with another expression for “you’re welcome” or “no problem.”
Use it when someone thanks you and you want to respond in a polite but neutral way.
- Arigatō gozaimasu.（ありがとうございます。）= Thank you very much.
- Iie, tondemonai koto desu.（いいえ、とんでもないことです。）= No need to thank me, don’t mention it. (neutral)
Casual ways to say ‘you’re welcome’ to friends
Rather than asking yourself the limiting question “How do I say ‘you’re welcome’ in Japanese,” consider what emotions you’re trying to convey by saying “you’re welcome.” That will lead you to a better option among the Japanese phrases. Try these phrases for casual scenarios with friends or family.
| Japanese | When To Use | English |
| iie （いいえ） | When someone thanks you and you want to respond in a polite but neutral way | No need to thank me |
| ie ie （いえいえ） | When you want to casually respond to a thank you | Not at all |
| daijōbu （大丈夫） | When you want to casually respond to a thank you with a little more emotion | It’s okay |
| zenzen ii yo （全然いいよ） | When you want to casually respond to a thank you with complete assurance that it was no problem | All good |
Use ie ie (no problem) as a casual response to thanks
You can make iie a little more casual by saying ie ie (ee-eh ee-eh) instead, making the “ee” sound in “ee-eh” shorter than in iie. Use it when you want to casually respond to a thank you.
- Arigatō.（ありがとう。）= Thank you.
- Ie ie, tondemo nai yo.（いえいえ、とんでもないよ。）= Not at all, don’t mention it. (casual)
Use daijōbu (it’s okay) when friends thank you for going out of your way
The expression daijōbu (dah-ee-joh-boo) means “it’s okay,” and it’s often used as a consolation to assure someone that you’re okay, or that the situation is okay. It works well to respond to thanks if the person thanking you is concerned that you’ve gone out of your way to do something.
Use it when you want to casually respond to a thank you with a little more emotion.
- Tasukatta! Arigatō.（助かった！ありがとう。）= You saved me! Thank you.
- Daijōbu yo. Kimi wa daijōbu?（大丈夫よ。君は大丈夫？）= It’s okay! Are you okay?
Use zenzen ii yo (all good) to assure your friends
Zenzen ii yo (zehn-zehn ee yoh) means “all good,” making it a good option if you want to be particularly emphatic that everything’s fine and there’s no need to thank you.
Use it when you want to casually respond to a thank you with complete assurance that it was no problem.
- Arigatō.（ありがとう。）= Thank you.
- Zenzen ii yo!（全然いいよ！）= All good!
How to politely let someone know there’s no thanks needed
Sometimes you’ll need a way to let someone know that they don’t need to thank you politely, but with flexible formality depending on who you’re talking to.
Use ki ni shinaide (no worries) to tell someone not to worry about thanking you
Ki ni shinaide (kee nee shee-nah-ee-deh) is useful when you want to infuse your words with a little humility while assuring the person thanking you that they didn’t cause you any trouble.
Use it when you want to assure the person thanking you that they haven’t imposed on you.
- Kiite kurete arigatō.（聞いてくれてありがとう。）= Thanks for listening to me.
- Ki ni shinaide.（気にしないで。）= No worries.
If you want to be a little extra polite, you can add kudasai (ください) to the end, which is one way to say “please” in Japanese.
- Kiite kurete arigatō gozaimasu.（聞いてくれてありがとうございます。）= Thank you for listening to me.
- Ki ni shinaide kudasai.（気にしないで。）= Please, don’t worry about it.
Use taishita koto ja nai (no big deal) as a response with flexible formality
Taishita koto ja nai (tah-eesh-tah koh-toh jah nah-ee) means “no big deal,” and it’s an expression where the translation and formality are flexible. This largely stems from the conjugation of ja nai, the negative form of “to be” in Japanese.
Use it when you want to assure the person thanking you that your actions weren’t anything major.
In increasing order of politeness, you can use these variations to communicate roughly the same sentiment:
- Taishita koto ja nai.（大したことじゃない。）= No big deal.
- Taishita koto de wa nai.（大したことではない。）= No matter.
- Taishita koto ja arimasen.（大したことじゃありません。）= It’s not a big deal.
Formal ways to say ‘you’re welcome’ at work
It’s especially important to be able to say “you’re welcome” to colleagues and superiors who have thanked you at work in the most appropriate way.
| Japanese | When To Use | English |
| tondemonai koto desu （とんでもないことです） | When you want to humbly respond to thanks at work | Don’t mention it (formal) |
| oyaku ni tatete nani yori desu （お役に立てて何よりです） | When someone has recognized that you helped them (especially at work) | I’m glad I could help (formal) |
| osore irimasu （恐れ入ります） | When someone thanks you at work and you want to express gratitude back | That’s very kind of you (formal) |
| kochira koso arigatō gozaimasu （こちらこそありがとうございます） | When you want to say “thank you” to the person thanking you | Thank you, too (formal) |
Use tondemonai koto desu (don’t mention it) as a humble response for coworkers
Especially in work settings, tondemonai koto desu (tohn-deh-moh-nah-ee koh-toh dehs) means “don’t mention it” when responding to someone thanking you. Use it when you want to humbly respond to thanks at work.
You can say it a few different ways depending on who you’re talking to:
- For friends or close colleagues: Tondemonai. (とんでもない。)
- For colleagues: Tondemonai koto desu.（とんでもないことです。）
- For superiors and other people you want to be extra formal with: Tondemo nai koto de gozaimasu. (とんでもないことでございます)
Use oyaku ni tatete nani yori desu (I’m glad I could help) as a respectful reply for work
Oyaku ni tatete nani yori desu (oh-yah-koo nee tah-teh-teh nah-nee yoh-ree dehs) is an expression that essentially means “I’m glad I could help” or “I’m glad to have been of service.” This is a perfect phrase to use with people who are above you in the workplace (like your boss).
Use it when someone has recognized that you helped them (especially at work).
- Purojekuto ni tsuite oyaku ni tatete nani yori desu.（プロジェクトについてお役に立てて何よりです。）= I’m glad I could help with the project.
Use osore irimasu (I’m grateful for your kind words) to reciprocate gratitude at work
When someone thanks you at work, you can also express gratitude in return by saying “I’m grateful for your kind words” or “that’s very kind of you” with osore irimasu (oh-soh-reh ee-ree-mahs). Use it when someone thanks you at work and you want to express gratitude back.
Japanese business speech heavily focuses on humility and mutual respect, so even expressing thanks for someone else being thankful is normal.
- Oisogashii naka, arigatō gozaimasu.（お忙しい中、ありがとうございます。）= Thank you for your time despite your busy schedule.
- Osore irimasu.（恐れ入ります。）= I’m grateful for your kind words.
Osore irimasu can also preface a business request, meaning something closer to “excuse me” in Japanese. You can usually identify this usage by looking for the Japanese conjunction ga (が) after osore irimasu (although it isn’t always present).
- Osore irimasu ga, Yamamoto sama wa irasshaimasu ka.（恐れ入りますが、山本様はいらっしゃいますか。）= Excuse me, but is Mr./Ms. Yamamoto here?
Use kochira koso arigatō gozaimasu (no, thank you) to thank someone in return
When someone says arigatō gozaimasu (thank you) to you, you can turn it around and thank them right back with kochira koso arigatō gozaimasu (koh-chee-rah koh-soh ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mahs). It’s like saying “I should be the one thanking you.”
Use it when you want to say “thank you” to the person thanking you.
- Tetsudatte kurete arigatō gozaimasu.（手伝ってくれてありがとうございます。）= Thank you very much for helping me.
- Kochira koso arigatō gozaimasu.（こちらこそありがとうございます。）= I should be the one thanking you.
You can also shorten this to kocchi koso arigatō to make it casual.
- Tetsudatte kurete arigatō.（手伝ってくれてありがとう。）= Thanks for helping me.
- Kocchi koso arigatō.（こっちこそありがとう。）= Likewise. (Alternatively: I should be the one thanking you.)
Add a bow when you say ‘you’re welcome’
No matter what Japanese word for “you’re welcome” you use to reply to arigatō (thank you), your body language should convey the same message. This will change depending on who you’re talking to:
- For people you’re close to, a short bob or nod of the head accompanied by a smile is appropriate.
- For strangers, you might want to err on the polite side and make a short bow at the waist. However, if the exchange was quick (such as if you picked up someone’s dropped handkerchief and they thanked you), a respectful nod is also appropriate before you go on your way.
- For business situations, bowing in Japan is a little more complicated, but a slight bow at the waist shows an appropriate amount of respect.
You can’t emphasize body language in writing, so it’s important to choose the right words for “you’re welcome” in Japanese instead. For a casual text, you can insert an emoji if you like (there’s even a bowing emoji), but you should let your words do the work in business emails.
0 Commentaires