How to say "Thank" in Japanese

When translating "thank" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between お疲れ様 and ありがとうございます. In Japanese, お疲れ様 (おつかれさま (otsukaresama)) is typically associated with "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.. On the other hand, ありがとうございます (ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu)) maps to "Thank you (polite)" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Polite way to express gratitude. Often shortened to ありがとう. A literal translation of "thank" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!