How to say "Thank" in Japanese

When translating "thank" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between ありがとう and お疲れ様. In Japanese, ありがとう (ありがとう (arigatou)) is typically associated with "Thank you" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents An informal way to express gratitude. The polite form is ありがとうございます. On the other hand, お疲れ様 (おつかれさま (otsukaresama)) maps to "Thank you for your hard work; You must be tired (greeting)" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents A common greeting used to acknowledge someone's effort or hard work, often said at the end of the day, after a meeting, or when someone has completed a task. Not necessarily implying the person is *actually* tired, but showing appreciation.. A literal translation of "thank" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!