How to say "Thank" in Japanese

When translating "thank" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between ありがとうございます and ごくろうさま. In Japanese, ありがとうございます (ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu)) is typically associated with "Thank you (polite)" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Polite way to express gratitude. Often shortened to ありがとう. On the other hand, ごくろうさま (ごくろうさま (gokurōsama)) maps to "Thank you for your hard work; I appreciate your efforts" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents A polite expression of appreciation for someone's effort, typically used by a superior to a subordinate, or between colleagues when one has completed a task. It's generally less formal than お疲れ様です. A literal translation of "thank" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!