Synonym Boundary: "お疲れ様", "感謝する", "恐縮", "ごくろうさま", "慰労"

When expressing "thank" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "お疲れ様", "感謝する", "恐縮", "ごくろうさま", "慰労" 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..
• 感謝する (かんしゃする (kansha suru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to thank, to appreciate, to be grateful" and is used when A more formal way to express gratitude compared to ありがとう. Often used in written form, formal speeches, or when expressing deep appreciation..
• 恐縮 (きょうしゅく (kyoushuku) - Level: N2): Maps to "thank you very much; excuse me for troubling you; I am sorry; I feel awful" and is used when A polite expression used to show gratitude, apologize, or express a feeling of being burdened or sorry, especially when asking for a favor or receiving something. Formal. 感謝、謝罪、または特に何かを頼む際や受け取る際に、恐縮している気持ちを表す丁寧な表現です。フォーマルな場面で使われます。.
• 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!