Arigatou Gozaimasu: Meaning, Origin, and How to Use It

Why do Japanese speakers say ありがとうございます? Discover the history and etymology of arigatou gozaimasu.

Category: History of Grammar

What does ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) really mean, and where does it come from?

ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) comes from ありがたい / ありがたし, an old Japanese adjective meaning something rare, precious, or difficult to obtain.

ありがとうございます is one of the very first expressions people learn in Japanese. At first glance, it seems to be a simple equivalent of “thank you.”

In reality, however, this familiar phrase has a much richer history. ありがとう did not originally arise as a straightforward expression of gratitude, but from the ancient adjective ありがたし (later ありがたい, arigatai), which conveyed the idea of something rare, precious, or difficult to come by or receive.

Understanding this origin also helps us use the expression more appropriately.

Saying ありがとう is not simply a matter of acknowledging a favor. Embedded in the history of the word is the idea that what someone has done for us should never be taken for granted.

It is precisely from this nuance—something “difficult to obtain,” and therefore precious—that the expression came to convey gratitude.

In this article, we will explore the true and deeper meaning of arigatou gozaimasu, its historical origins, its relationship with ありがたい, the difference between ありがとう and ありがとうございます, and the main contexts in which this expression is used in modern Japanese.

ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) – Meaning

ありがとうございます means “thank you,” depending on the context and on the relationship between the speaker and the listener.

Some expressions become so familiar that we no longer notice their weight, history, or depth. ありがとうございます is one of them.

It is universally recognized, to the point that it is often uttered almost automatically—even by people who study little or no Japanese. Yet behind this seemingly familiar expression lies a history spanning centuries, shaped by linguistic evolution, cultural change, and subtle shifts in meaning.

It is one of the fundamental expressions of gratitude in modern Japanese, but its meaning goes far beyond the simple English translation “thank you.”

In Japanese, ありがとうございます does more than acknowledge that we have received something useful or pleasant. It also conveys that we recognize the other person’s action as something worthy of appreciation, respect, and a response.

The expression is made up of ありがとう, which conveys the act of thanking someone, and ございます, which makes the expression more polite.

For this reason, ありがとうございます is more respectful than simply saying ありがとう. It does not necessarily mean “thank you very much,” although that translation may fit certain situations. The key distinction is not the intensity of the gratitude but the level of politeness.

ありがとう is natural among friends, family members, and people with whom one has a close relationship, whereas ありがとうございます is more appropriate when speaking to people who are less familiar, superiors, teachers, customers, colleagues, or strangers. We will return to this point in greater detail later in the article.

The deeper meaning of ありがとうございます is therefore twofold.

On the one hand, it expresses gratitude: the speaker acknowledges having received a favor, help, information, a gift, a service, or even a simple act of kindness.

On the other hand, it also expresses an awareness of the relationship between the speaker and the other person. The speaker does not take the other person’s action for granted. In this sense, ありがとうございます is not simply a “polite” expression, but also a way of positioning oneself appropriately within that relationship.

In modern Japanese, ありがとうございます is an extremely common and versatile expression. It can be used when someone helps us, offers us something, pays us a compliment, gives us information, waits for us, devotes time to us, or simply does something kind for us.

It is equally at home in everyday conversation and in more formal settings, including emails, business messages, shops, restaurants, schools, and professional environments.

It is one of those expressions whose core function remains constant across different registers: acknowledging and expressing gratitude.

It is also important to understand that ありがとうございます is not simply a “longer” version of ありがとう.

In Japanese, a longer expression often also signals greater distance, consideration, or politeness toward the other person.

Adding ございます makes the expression more appropriate in situations where spontaneity alone is not enough and respect must also be conveyed.

For this reason, whenever you are unsure how familiar you are with the other person, ありがとうございます is generally the safest choice.

As we have seen, it can be translated into English as “thank you,” or, in some contexts, “thank you very much.” However, neither translation fully captures every nuance.

“Thank you” accurately conveys the general meaning, while “thank you very much” may be appropriate when the situation calls for a warmer expression of gratitude.

The key point, however, is that ありがとうございます combines gratitude with politeness. It conveys not only “I have received something,” but also “I recognize the value of what you have done for me.”

For this reason, we cannot regard it as nothing more than a simple expression of thanks.

In the following sections, we will first examine how the expression is formed before tracing its historical origins, allowing us to understand what it originally meant and how, step by step, it became one of the expressions that best embodies the Japanese way of expressing gratitude.

Because saying ありがとうございます means much more than simply saying “thank you.”

The Origin and Meaning of the Adjective ありがたい (有り難い)

The adjective 「ありがたい」 belongs to the category of -i adjectives (形容詞) and in modern Japanese means “to be grateful,” “appreciated,” or “welcome.”

Even today, it is used when expressing gratitude, for example toward heaven or toward deities.

From a morphological perspective, it is a compound formed from the element あり (the ren’yōkei form of ある in Classical Japanese) combined with the classical adjective 難し（かたし）. In other words, 「ありがたい」 literally originates from the concept of “something that exists with difficulty,” that is, something rare and precious.

Its kanji spelling, 有り難い, clearly reflects this composition: 有り (“to exist,” “to have”) + 難い (“difficult”).

Originally, in fact, 「ありがたい」 referred to something rare, difficult to find or obtain. Already in classical Japanese texts from the Heian period, the term appears with this meaning. For example, in the Makura no Sōshi (枕草子, c. 1000), the expression 「ありがたきもの」 describes “things that are arigataki,” that is, “things that are difficult to find in this world.”

Likewise, even older texts such as the Man’yōshū (8th century) use 「ありかたし」 to refer to something exceptionally rare. In certain archaic contexts, when 「ある」 was interpreted in the sense of “to live” or “to exist in the world,” 「ありがたい」 could even mean “life is difficult,” that is, “painful” or “full of hardship.”

Over time, the meaning of 「ありがたい」 expanded from “rare and precious” to describe something extraordinarily positive or worthy of admiration.

For example, it could refer to an exceptional person or to something admirable “to the extent of being out of the ordinary.” From this, the meaning of “being grateful for something” gradually emerged. If someone performs an action so rare and precious that it feels beyond price, gratitude naturally follows.

Already in medieval Japan, this adjective began to express joyful appreciation and thankfulness toward an exceptional act or favor. In other words, 「ありがたい」 came to embody the idea that “what you have done for me is so rare and precious that I am deeply grateful to you for it.”

This emotional nuance of gratitude, already embedded within the adjective itself, laid the groundwork for the later use of 「ありがとう」 as an independent expression of thanks.

From a historical-linguistic perspective, it should also be noted that 「ありがたい」 is the modern form (kōgo) of a classical adjective. In older Japanese, the base form was 「ありがたし」 (with the classical adjectival suffix -shi).

In Classical Japanese, adjectives ended in -shi (in their attributive/plain form) and also displayed inflected forms in -ku. For example, 「ありがたく」 was its ren’yōkei (連用形, adverbial or connective form) in premodern Japanese.

This morphological difference also explains the phonological development that we will examine shortly: the transition from 「ありがたい」 to 「ありがとう」.

In summary, 「ありがたい」 has ancient origins and underwent a semantic development that led from the literal meaning of “difficult to have or to exist (and therefore rare)” to the idea of “precious” or “worthy of appreciation,” and ultimately to the expression of deep gratitude.

From ありがたい to ありがとうございます: How the Expression Was Formed

The modern expression 「ありがとうございます」 (which can be translated as “Thank you very much” or “I sincerely thank you” in formal contexts) derives directly from the adjective 「ありがたい」. Below, we explain step by step the grammatical, phonological, and morphological developments that gave rise to this polite expression.

The Adjectival Base

The starting point is the adjective 「ありがたい」. In Japanese grammar, when an adjective is connected to a following verb, its -ku form (ren’yōkei) is used. Thus, 「ありがたい」 becomes 「ありがたく」.

This form has an adverbial function and literally means “gratefully” or “in a precious/appreciative manner.”

The Phonological Change (ウ音便)

In fixed polite expressions, beginning in premodern Japanese, the final -ku of many adjectives underwent a euphonic change known as ウ音便 (u-onbin).

This process transforms the ending -ku into a form ending in -u (…たく → …たう), which in modern Japanese often corresponds to a long ō sound.

Applying this rule, 「ありがたく」 contracts and becomes 「ありがたう」, pronounced arigatō. In modern Japanese, the sequence -au contracted into a long ō sound, now conventionally written with う.

In practical terms, 「有り難く」 (arigataku) “underwent a euphonic transformation into” 「有り難う」 (arigatō).

This development is parallel to that seen in expressions such as 「おめでとう」 (from 「おめでたく」, “joyfully”) or 「早うござります」 (from 「早く」, a form that eventually gave rise to 「おはようございます」, “good morning”).

U-onbin was characteristic of premodern and colloquial Japanese and survives today in fossilized form within greetings and expressions of gratitude.

The Addition of the Polite Verb

The resulting form 「ありがとう」 was then combined with 「ございます」 (gozaimasu), the modern polite form derived from the medieval verb 「ござる」, itself an honorific development of 「ある」.

Thus, 「ありがたく」 + 「ございます」 originally produced 「ありがたくございます」.

Because of the u-onbin process described above, the common pronunciation and spelling eventually became 「ありがとうございます」, written in hiragana.

The complete expression literally means something like “this is precious to me” in polite form, but functionally corresponds to “I am grateful to you.”

From a grammatical standpoint, 「ありがとうございます」 is therefore composed of the ren’yōkei-derived form of 「ありがたい」 (“ありがとう”) combined with the polite 「ございます」 (which incorporates the verb 「ある」).

It is therefore a construction meaning “(What you have done) is something rare and precious.”

Already in late feudal Japanese, similar forms such as 「有り難く候」 (arigataku sōrō, “[something] is precious [to me]”) or 「有り難く存じます」 (arigataku zonjimasu, “I consider it something precious”) were used in formal contexts to express gratitude.

These forms gradually evolved into the contemporary expression 「ありがとうございます」.

In Summary

The modern formal Japanese word for “thank you” is the result of the following development:

「ありがたい」 (the adjective meaning “grateful; rare; precious”) → the -ku form 「ありがたく」 → transformation into 「ありがとう」 (through u-onbin) → addition of 「ございます」 (the polite form of “to exist”).

The past-tense version 「ありがとうございました」 follows exactly the same logic, except that it uses the past form 「ございました」.

It is also worth noting that in modern writing, 「ありがとう」 is usually written in hiragana, whereas the kanji form 「有難う」 tends to have a more literary or formal flavor.

In any case, 「ありがとうございます」 is the expression that combines the etymological notion of “something rare and precious” with the linguistic mechanisms of formal Japanese politeness.

The Historical Development of ありがとう / ありがとうございます

The expression 「ありがとう」 as a formula of gratitude has a complex history, closely intertwined with the socio-cultural evolution of Japan and its systems of politeness. As we have seen, in earlier periods 「ありがたし／ありがたい」 primarily expressed the idea of rarity and preciousness.

It was not originally a “thank you” directed toward another person, but rather a descriptive adjective. In everyday language during the premodern period, direct expressions of gratitude were often conveyed through other words.

For example, during the Muromachi period (approximately the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries), gratitude toward another person was more commonly expressed through terms such as 「かたじけない」（忝い） (katajikenai, literally “undeserved; I am honored by it”), especially in formal settings or among samurai.

Indeed, 「かたじけない」 was regarded as the standard polite expression for saying “thank you” at the time, whereas 「ありがたい」 remained secondary and was used more generally to express appreciation.

Over the following centuries, however, the role of 「ありがとう」 as an expression of gratitude gradually became established. Already during the late medieval period (Kamakura–Muromachi), under the influence of Buddhist thought, the concept of 「ありがたし」 began to be associated with feelings of religious gratitude.

For example, the “compassion of the Buddha” was described as something 「ありがたい」—rare and precious—and therefore something that inspired deep gratitude in those who received it.

A famous Buddhist teaching (the parable of the blind turtle and the floating piece of wood) emphasizes how “difficult it is to be born as a human being” and how this is something 「ありがたい」, that is, a rare occurrence for which one should be grateful.

This cultural framework led 「ありがとう」 to acquire almost spiritual overtones of gratitude within the religious and literary language of the medieval period.

During the Edo period (seventeenth century to the mid-nineteenth century), with the spread of education and urban culture, 「ありがとう」 moved from the religious and literary sphere into everyday usage as a common expression of gratitude.

It was during this period that forms such as 「ありがたうござります」 (the predecessor of 「ありがとうございます」) became common in dialogue, popular stories, and polite language in general. Gradually, 「ありがとう」 came to be recognized and used by the broader population with the explicit meaning of “I thank you.”

Lexicographical sources document this development. For example, the Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary of 1603 (Nippo Jisho), compiled by missionaries, records 「アリガタイ」 and defines it as “something worthy of reverence, something precious,” showing that the term already carried a strong sense of appreciation at that time.

In the decades that followed, the use of 「ありがとう」 as an expression of thanks spread widely among ordinary people, especially when combined with the polite verb 「ござる／ございます」 in formal contexts. By the end of the Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji era, 「ありがとうございます」 had become the standard expression of respectful gratitude, while 「ありがとう」 on its own functioned as its more informal equivalent.

An interesting finding from linguistic research is that around the end of the seventeenth century (the Genroku era), 「ありがたい」 overtook 「かたじけない」 in its use as a word of gratitude.

In other words, from the eighteenth century onward, 「ありがとう」 became by far the dominant expression for conveying gratitude, gradually replacing earlier formulas. Since then, 「ありがとう」 (in its various forms) has remained central to the Japanese language.

Throughout the nineteenth century and during Japan’s contact with the West, 「ありがとうございます」 continued to be used unchanged.

It is worth noting that an etymological urban legend once circulated claiming that 「ありがとう」 derived from the Portuguese word “obrigado” (used to mean “thank you”).

In reality, this is merely a phonetic coincidence. 「ありがとう」 had already existed for centuries before the arrival of the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, and its true origin, as we have seen, has nothing whatsoever to do with Portuguese. The theory of a Lusitanian origin is therefore completely unsupported by either historical or linguistic evidence.

Usage in Formal and Informal Registers, and in Contemporary Japan

In contemporary Japanese communication, 「ありがとうございます」 is ubiquitous and represents the quintessential formal (teineigo) expression of gratitude. It is used in polite and respectful contexts: for example, when addressing superiors, customers, people one has just met, or in public situations.

In everyday Japanese life, it is perfectly normal to hear 「ありがとうございます」 accompanied by a slight bow, emphasizing both deference and sincerity. In business and professional settings, this expression is virtually mandatory in order to maintain the standard level of politeness expected.

In written communication (such as formal emails or thank-you letters), the form 「ありがとうございます。」 is commonly used, as are even more formal variants such as 「誠にありがとうございます。」 (“Thank you very much indeed”) or 「心より御礼申し上げます」 (“I extend my heartfelt thanks to you”), depending on the degree of formality required.

In informal settings, by contrast, people typically use 「ありがとう」 without ございます. On its own, 「ありがとう。」 is a casual and friendly expression of thanks, suitable for conversations with friends, family members, or trusted acquaintances.

For example, among classmates or colleagues of similar status, a simple 「ありがとう！」 is completely natural. Japanese speakers often add the interjection 「どうも」 (dōmo) at the beginning for emphasis: 「どうもありがとう！」 corresponds to “thank you very much” in an informal tone.

It is also worth mentioning that 「どうも」 by itself can function as a brief and informal expression of thanks (similar to a quick “thanks” in English). In youth speech, one also encounters contracted forms such as 「あざっす」 (derived from the rapid pronunciation of ありがとうございます), but these are slang expressions restricted to very informal contexts.

From a dialectal and cultural perspective, Japan has other ways of expressing gratitude (for example, 「おおきに」 in the Kansai dialect), but 「ありがとう」 remains universally understood and used throughout the country as a general expression of thanks.

In the collective imagination, it is one of the first words Japanese children learn as part of basic good manners, alongside 「ごめんなさい」 (“I’m sorry”).

Both in the media and in popular culture, 「ありがとう」 appears as a symbol of gratitude and is sometimes even written in the Latin alphabet (“Arigato”) in visual arts to emphasize the Japanese character of the word.

In summary, 「ありがとうございます」 has traveled across the centuries, evolving from a descriptive adjective into a polite expression of gratitude while adapting to social change.

Today it coexists with the more familiar variant 「ありがとう」, allowing speakers to adjust their level of formality according to the situation. This expression beautifully embodies the Japanese culture of gratitude expressed through humility and respect: a “thank you” that recognizes something rare, almost improbable, in another person’s action, and therefore worthy of gratitude.

The Honorific Components: The Verb 「ある」 and the Form 「ございます」

From a semantic perspective, 「ございます」 still retains the basic meaning of “to exist,” although in a weakened and grammaticalized form. For example, when we say 「結構でございます」, we translate it as “that will be perfectly fine,” but literally it would mean something like “it exists in a satisfactory manner (the matter is acceptable).”

In the case of 「ありがとうございます」, the meaning could be made explicit as “(this thing for which I thank you) exists in a precious way (for me).”

It is important to note that 「ございます」 is a form of teineigo: it makes the sentence polite toward the listener, but it does not confer honor specifically upon the subject of the action. This reflects the historical development mentioned earlier: 「ござる」 evolved from a subject-honorific verb into a general marker of politeness.

In modern usage, 「ございます」 is always written in hiragana in expressions such as 「ありがとうございます」 and 「～でございます」 because it is treated as an auxiliary.

The kanji form 御座います is occasionally used when 「ございます」 functions as a lexical verb (for example, in expressions such as 「ここに御座います」, “it is located here”, in very formal registers), but in contemporary standard usage hiragana is preferred.

Similarly, 「ありがとう」 may be written in kanji as 有難う in formal or artistic contexts, but it normally appears in hiragana.

Conclusion

The expression 「ありがとうございます」 contains within it a rich honorific structure: the adjective 「ありがたい」, which carries the echo of the verb 「ある」, and the expression 「ございます」, which descends from 「ござる」 and ultimately from 「ある」.

This linguistic construction perfectly reflects the culture of Japanese politeness, where gratitude is expressed by affirming that another person’s action “exists as something rare and precious,” all wrapped in one of the most courteous verbal forms available.

「ありがとうございます」 is therefore not merely a “thank you,” but a small linguistic tribute that acknowledges the exceptional nature of another person’s gesture with humility and deference, in keeping with Japan’s historical and cultural sensibilities.

Essential Bibliography

gogen-yurai.jp
有り難い／ありがたい - 語源由来辞典

crd.ndl.go.jp
「ありがとう」の語源を知りたい。 | レファレンス協同データベース

gogen-yurai.jp
有難う／ありがとう - 語源由来辞典

oggi.jp
「ありがとうございました」と「ありがとうございます」の違いは？ 由来や使い方を解説

japanknowledge.com
あり‐がた・い〖有難〗｜日本国語大辞典｜ジャパンナレッジ

detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp
「ござる」の由来を教えてください