How to say "Thank" in Japanese

When translating "thank" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between ごくろうさま and 労う. In Japanese, ごくろうさま (ごくろうさま (gokurōsama)) is typically associated with "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. On the other hand, 労う (ねぎらう (negirau)) maps to "to thank for one's efforts, to reward for toil, to appreciate hard work" (Syllabus Level: N1) and represents 大変な仕事や努力、貢献に対して、感謝や慰労の気持ちを表す際に用いられます。達成後や一区切りついた時に使われることが多いです。. A literal translation of "thank" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!