Synonym Boundary: "お疲れ様", "いただきます", "ごくろうさま", "ねぎらう"

When expressing "thank" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "お疲れ様", "いただきます", "ごくろうさま", "ねぎらう" based on context.

• お疲れ様 (おつかれさま (otsukaresama) - Level: N5): Maps to "Thank you for your hard work; You must be tired (greeting)" and is used when 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..
• 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.
• ねぎらう (ねぎらう (negirau) - Level: N2): Maps to "to thank for hard work, to express gratitude for effort" and is used when Used to appreciate someone's effort or labor, often after a long or difficult task..

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