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.

The expression ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu): origin and development

There are expressions we use every day without really feeling their weight, history, or depth anymore. ありがとうございます is one of them. It is universally known, to the point that it is often pronounced almost automatically, even by people who study Japanese or do not know the language at all. And yet behind this expression, so familiar and seemingly simple, lies a centuries-long path shaped by linguistic transformations, cultural change, and subtle shifts in meaning.

In this article we will not look at it simply as a standard phrase of thanks: first we will examine how it is formed, and then trace it back to its origins in order to understand what it originally meant and how, step by step, it became one of the most representative expressions of Japanese sensibility. Because saying ありがとうございます is much more than saying “thank you.”

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

From a morphological point of view, it is a compound formed by the element あり (the ren’yōkei of ある in classical Japanese) joined to the classical adjective 難し（かたし）. In other words, 「ありがたい」 was originally built around the literal idea of “(something that) exists with difficulty,” that is, something rare and precious. The 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 difficult to 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, around the year 1000), the expression 「ありがたきもの」 describes “things that are arigataki,” that is “things difficult to encounter in this world.” In the same way, even older verses such as those found in the Man’yōshū (8th century) use 「ありかたし」 to refer to something exceptionally rare. In certain archaic contexts, when taking 「ある」 in the sense of “to live / to exist in the world,” 「ありがたい」 could also mean “(life) is difficult,” that is “painful” or “full of hardships.”

Over time, from the meaning of “rare and precious,” 「ありがたい」 gradually expanded its semantic value to describe something extraordinarily positive or worthy of admiration. For example, it could refer to an outstanding person or an admirable thing “so exceptional as to be outside the ordinary.” From there, the meaning “to be grateful for something” gradually developed: if someone does something so rare and precious for us that it feels invaluable, we naturally feel gratitude in response.

Already in medieval Japan, this adjective began to express joyful appreciation and thankfulness toward an exceptional gesture or favor. In other words, 「ありがたい」 came to include the idea that “what you have done for me is so rare and precious that I feel deeply grateful for it.” This emotional nuance of gratitude, already implicit in the adjective itself, paved the way for the later use of 「ありがとう」 as an independent expression of thanks.

From a historical-linguistic perspective, it is worth noting that 「ありがたい」 is the modern spoken form (kōgo) of a classical adjective: in older Japanese the dictionary form was 「ありがたし」 (with the classical adjectival suffix -shi). In classical Japanese, adjectives in fact ended in -shi (for the attributive/plain form) and had 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 we will look at shortly: the shift from 「ありがたい」 to 「ありがとう」. In short, 「ありがたい」 has ancient roots and a semantic path that moved from the literal meaning of “difficult to have / difficult to exist (therefore rare)” to the idea of “precious, worthy,” and finally 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 is formed

The modern expression 「ありがとうございます」 (which can be translated as “Thank you” or “Thank you very much” in formal contexts) derives directly from the adjective 「ありがたい」. Below is a step-by-step explanation of the grammatical, phonological, and morphological development that produced this polite expression:

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. Therefore 「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 / appreciated way.”

Phonological phenomenon (ウ音便)

In fixed polite expressions, beginning already in premodern Japanese, the final -ku of many adjectives underwent a euphonic change called ウ音便 (u-onbin). This consists in turning 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, now written with う. In practical terms, 「有り難く」 (arigataku) “euphonicly transformed into” 「有り難う」 (arigatō).

This development is similar to that of other expressions such as 「おめでとう」 (from 「おめでたく」, “joyful”) or 「早うござります」 (from 「早く」, a form that later gave rise to 「おはようございます」, “good morning”). U-onbin was characteristic of premodern and colloquial Japanese and still survives today in fossilized greetings and expressions of thanks.

Addition of the polite verb

To the resulting 「ありがとう」 is finally added 「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」. Therefore 「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 explained above, the common pronunciation and spelling became 「ありがとうございます」, in hiragana. The full expression literally means “(this thing) is precious to me” in polite form, but corresponds to “I am grateful to you.”

In grammatical terms, 「ありがとうございます」 is therefore composed of the ren’yōkei form of 「ありがたい」 (“ありがとう”) joined to the polite 「ございます」 (which incorporates the verb 「ある」). It is therefore a construction meaning “(What you did) is something rare / 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 later developed into the modern 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 “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 form 「ありがとうございました」 follows exactly the same logic, but with 「ございました」 in the past tense. It is worth noting that in modern writing 「ありがとう」 is usually written in hiragana, while 「有難う」 in kanji has a more literary or formal tone. In any case, 「ありがとうございます」 is the expression that brings together the etymological root of “precious rarity” and the linguistic mechanism 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 thanks has a long and layered history, closely tied to the socio-cultural development of Japan and the evolution of its politeness system. 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. At first it was not used as a direct “thank you” addressed to someone, but rather as a descriptive adjective. In everyday speech during the premodern era, direct gratitude was often expressed through other words.

For example, during the Muromachi period (roughly the 14th–16th centuries), gratitude toward another person was more commonly expressed with terms such as 「かたじけない」（忝い） (katajikenai, literally “undeserved; I am honored by this”), especially in formal settings or among samurai. At that time, 「かたじけない」 was in fact considered the standard polite expression for saying “thank you,” while 「ありがたい」 remained more secondary and general in expressing appreciation.

In the following centuries, however, the role of 「ありがとう」 as an expression of thanks gradually became firmly established. Already in late medieval Japan (Kamakura–Muromachi period), under the influence of Buddhist thought, the idea of 「ありがたし」 began to be associated with religious gratitude. For example, the “compassion of the Buddha” could be described as something 「ありがたい」 – extremely rare and precious – naturally inspiring deep thankfulness in the person receiving 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 itself is 「ありがたい」, that is, a rare event worthy of gratitude. This cultural framework led 「ありがとう」 to take on almost spiritual overtones of gratitude in the religious and literary language of the medieval period.

During the Edo period (17th century to the mid-19th century), with the spread of education and urban culture, 「ありがとう」 moved from the religious and literary sphere into everyday language as a common expression of thanks. It was during this period that forms such as 「ありがたうござります」 (the ancestor of 「ありがとうございます」) became frequent in conversations, popular stories, and general polite speech. Gradually, 「ありがとう」 began to be widely recognized and used by ordinary people with the explicit meaning of “thank you.”

Lexicographical sources document this shift: 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, precious,” showing that by that time the word already carried a strong nuance of appreciation. In the following decades, the use of 「ありがとう」 as an expression of gratitude spread widely among the general population, especially in combination with the polite verbs 「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 respectful expression of thanks, while 「ありがとう」 by itself functioned as the more informal equivalent.

One interesting point that emerges from linguistic studies 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 usage as the main word of gratitude. In other words, from the eighteenth century onward 「ありがとう」 became by far the most common way to express thanks, gradually replacing earlier expressions. Since then, 「ありがとう」 (in all its variants) has remained central in 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 without change. It is worth mentioning that an urban etymological myth once claimed that 「ありがとう」 came from the Portuguese word “obrigado” (used for “thank you”). In reality, this is only a phonetic coincidence: 「ありがとう」 had already existed for centuries before the arrival of the Portuguese (16th century), and its true origin, as we have seen, has nothing to do with Portuguese. The theory of a Lusitanian origin therefore has no historical or linguistic basis.

Use in formal and informal registers, and in contemporary Japan

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

In everyday life in Japan, it is completely normal to hear 「ありがとうございます」 accompanied by a slight bow, reinforcing sincerity and respect. In professional and commercial settings, this expression is practically obligatory in order to maintain the standard level of politeness expected. In written form (for example formal emails or thank-you letters), the version 「ありがとうございます。」 is commonly used, along with even more formal expressions 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」 (“Please accept my heartfelt thanks”), depending on the level of formality required.

In informal situations, by contrast, people typically use 「ありがとう」 without ございます. 「ありがとう。」 on its own is a friendly and casual expression of thanks, appropriate in conversations with friends, family members, or people one is close to. For example, among classmates or coworkers of similar status, a simple 「ありがとう！」 sounds 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！」 is equivalent to “thank you very much” in an informal tone. It is also worth mentioning that 「どうも」 by itself can function as a short and casual thank-you (similar to a quick “thanks”). In younger spoken Japanese, contracted forms such as 「あざっす」 (from a rapid pronunciation of ありがとうございます) can also be heard, though they are slang and limited to very informal settings.

From a dialectal and cultural point of view, Japan also has other ways of expressing thanks (for example 「おおきに」 in the Kansai dialect), but 「ありがとう」 remains universally understood and used everywhere as the standard expression of gratitude. In the collective imagination, it is one of the first words Japanese children learn as part of basic manners, together with 「ごめんなさい」 (“sorry”). Both in media and in pop culture, 「ありがとう」 often appears as a symbol of gratitude and is sometimes even written in the Latin alphabet (“Arigato”) in visual arts to emphasize the specifically Japanese identity of the word.

In short, 「ありがとうございます」 has crossed the centuries, evolving from a descriptive adjective into a polite expression of gratitude and adapting to social change along the way. Today it coexists with the more familiar 「ありがとう」, allowing speakers to adjust their register depending on the situation. This expression embodies the Japanese cultural ideal of gratitude expressed with humility and respect: a “thank you” that recognizes in another person’s action something rare, almost improbable, and precisely for that reason worthy of sincere gratitude.

Honorific components: the verb 「ある」 and the form 「ございます」

From a semantic point of view, 「ございます」 still retains the core meaning of “to exist,” though in a weakened and grammaticalized way. For example, when we say 「結構でございます」 we translate it as “that is perfectly fine,” but literally it would be something like “it exists in a sufficient way (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 teineigo: it makes the sentence polite toward the listener, but does not add specific honor to the subject of the action. This reflects the historical development mentioned above: 「ござる」 evolved from a subject-oriented honorific into a general marker of politeness.

In terms of modern writing conventions, 「ございます」 is always written in hiragana in expressions such as 「ありがとうございます」, 「～でございます」, and so on, because it is considered 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 sentences such as 「ここに御座います」, “it is located here,” in very formal registers), but in standard modern usage it is preferable to write it in hiragana. Likewise, 「ありがとう」 may be written in kanji as 有難う in formal or artistic contexts, but 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 still carries the echo of the verb 「ある」, and the expression 「ございます」, which descends from 「ござる」/「ある」. This linguistic construction perfectly reflects the Japanese culture of 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 polite verbal forms available. 「ありがとうございます」 is therefore not simply “thank you,” but a small linguistic tribute that acknowledges the exceptional nature of a gesture with humility and respect, in keeping with Japan’s historical and cultural sensibility.

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