What is the difference between "いただきます", "ごちそうさま", "ごくろうさま", "慰労"?

"いただきます" means "Thank you for the meal (before eating); I humbly receive", "ごちそうさま" means "Thank you for the meal (after eating)", "ごくろうさま" means "Thank you for your hard work; I appreciate your efforts", "慰労" means "to thank/reward for hard work, to express appreciation for efforts".

Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "いただきます", "ごちそうさま", "ごくろうさま", "慰労"

All represent the core concept "thank", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

いただきます

いただきます (itadakimasu)

N5 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

ごちそうさま

ごちそうさま (gochisousama)

N5 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

ごくろうさま

ごくろうさま (gokurōsama)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

慰労

いろう (irō)

N1 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "thank" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "いただきます", "ごちそうさま", "ごくろうさま", "慰労" based on context.

いただきます (いただきます (itadakimasu) - Level: N5): Maps to "Thank you for the meal (before eating); I humbly receive" and is used when A polite phrase said before eating or drinking, or when receiving something, expressing gratitude. It implies 'I humbly receive this food/drink/item'..
ごちそうさま (ごちそうさま (gochisousama) - Level: N5): Maps to "Thank you for the meal (after eating)" and is used when A polite phrase said after finishing a meal, expressing gratitude for the food and/or the hospitality. Often shortened to 「ごちそうさま」..
ごくろうさま (ごくろうさま (gokurōsama) - Level: N2): Maps to "Thank you for your hard work; I appreciate your efforts" and is used when 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.
慰労 (いろう (irō) - Level: N1): Maps to "to thank/reward for hard work, to express appreciation for efforts" and is used when Expressing appreciation or gratitude for someone's hard work and effort, often after a demanding period or project, acknowledging their fatigue and thanking them..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!

Context for "いただきます"

食事の前に「いただきます」と言います。

I say "Itadakimasu" before a meal.

Context for "ごちそうさま"

食事が終わったら「ごちそうさま」と言います。

After finishing the meal, I say "Gochisousama."

Context for "ごくろうさま"

長い道のり、ごくろうさまでした。

Thank you for your hard work on the long journey.

Context for "慰労"

長いプロジェクトが終わった後、社員を慰労するパーティーが開かれた。

After the long project finished, a party was held to thank the employees for their hard work.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "食事の前に「＿＿＿」と言います。" (Meaning: "I say "Itadakimasu" before a meal.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "いただきます" is correct here because it represents "Thank you for the meal (before eating); I humbly receive" in the context: "I say "Itadakimasu" before a meal.".