How to Say You're Welcome in Japanese: 12 Responses Beyond Dō Itashimashite

The Short Answer

The textbook way to say you're welcome in Japanese is Dō itashimashite (どういたしまして, doh ee-tah-shee-mah-shteh), but most Japanese speakers rarely use it. Instead, they deflect thanks with responses like Iie (いいえ, "no no"), Tondemo nai desu (とんでもないです, "not at all"), or Kochira koso (こちらこそ, "it is I who should thank you"). In Japanese culture, accepting gratitude directly can feel boastful, so speakers instinctively minimize their own contribution.

Japanese is spoken by approximately 125 million people, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. The Agency for Cultural Affairs' 2023 National Language Survey found that deflective responses to gratitude (rather than direct acceptance) are overwhelmingly preferred across all age groups in Japan. This makes "you're welcome" one of the most culturally revealing phrases to study, because it exposes a fundamental difference between Japanese and Western communication styles. Whether you're looking up "youre welcome in japanese" for travel, study, or conversation, this guide covers everything you need.

"In Japanese, the preferred response to thanks is not to accept gratitude but to deny the very premise of it. This reflects a cultural logic in which the self is diminished so that social harmony is preserved."

(Anna Wierzbicka, Cross-Cultural Pragmatics, Mouton de Gruyter, 2003)

This guide covers 12 essential ways to respond to thanks in Japanese, organized by category: the textbook response, casual deflections, polite and formal options, business language, and mutual gratitude. Each includes Japanese script, romaji pronunciation, and cultural context so you know exactly when to use it.

Quick Reference: Japanese "You're Welcome" Expressions at a Glance

The Textbook Response

This is the phrase every Japanese textbook teaches first, and the one native speakers use least in everyday life.

どういたしまして (Dō itashimashite)

Dō itashimashite literally breaks down to dō (how/what) + itashimashite (a humble form of "to do"), producing something like "what have I done?", implying the favor was so minor it barely registers. Despite being the textbook standard, it occupies an awkward middle ground: too formal for friends, and in truly formal business settings, speakers reach for even more humble expressions.

According to the Japan Foundation's 2021 survey, dō itashimashite is among the first ten phrases taught to the 3.8 million people studying Japanese worldwide. Yet native speakers report feeling it sounds somewhat stilted, particularly among younger generations. It is perfectly correct and always understood, but knowing the alternatives below will make you sound far more natural.

Casual Deflections

These are the responses Japanese speakers actually reach for in daily life. They all share one principle: denying that the favor was any trouble at all.

いいえ (Iie)

Saying "no" when someone thanks you is the quintessential Japanese deflection. A simple iie (often repeated as iie, iie, いいえ、いいえ, with a slight hand wave) communicates "no, really, it was nothing." This response works across nearly all situations, from a friend thanking you for a coffee to a colleague thanking you for covering a shift.

ううん (Uun)

Uun is the relaxed, casual counterpart to iie. Where iie works in both polite and casual registers, uun belongs strictly among friends and family. It is the kind of response you would toss back to a friend who thanks you for lending them an umbrella: warm, dismissive of formality, and effortlessly natural.

全然 (Zenzen)

Zenzen (全然) literally means "completely" and traditionally pairs with a negative verb, like zenzen daijōbu (completely fine, i.e., no problem at all). But younger Japanese speakers have increasingly adopted it as a standalone exclamation, much like responding "totally fine!" in English. The Agency for Cultural Affairs' surveys have documented this generational shift, noting that standalone zenzen has become a defining feature of under-40 speech patterns.

大丈夫 (Daijōbu)

Daijōbu is one of the most useful words in Japanese, meaning "it's all right" or "no problem." As a response to thanks, it functions like the English "no worries," reassuring the thanker that you were not inconvenienced. It is casual but not slangy, making it appropriate for everyday exchanges with coworkers, acquaintances, and friends alike.

いいよいいよ (Iiyo iiyo)

Doubling iiyo adds warmth and insistence. It is the verbal equivalent of waving both hands and smiling: "really, really, it's fine!" This is one of the most natural casual responses in spoken Japanese, and you will hear it constantly in Japanese films and dramas when friends dismiss each other's thanks. Check out our guide to the best movies to learn Japanese to hear these phrases in context.

Polite and Formal Responses

When the situation demands more than a casual wave, these expressions show both humility and proper social awareness.

とんでもないです (Tondemo nai desu)

Tondemo nai literally means "absurd" or "unthinkable," as in, the very suggestion that you deserve thanks is absurd. Adding desu keeps it polite without being overly formal. This sits in the sweet spot between casual iie and ultra-formal keigo, making it ideal for workplace conversations, interactions with acquaintances, and any semi-formal context where you want to show modesty without sounding stiff.

とんでもございません (Tondemo gozaimasen)

This is the keigo-elevated form, used in formal business settings, high-end customer service, and interactions with important clients. Hotel concierges, airline staff, and department store employees use tondemo gozaimasen routinely. While linguists have debated whether this form is grammatically "correct" (the traditional form being tondemo nai koto de gozaimasu), the Agency for Cultural Affairs' 2007 guidelines accepted tondemo gozaimasen as standard usage, and it is now universally recognized.

お気になさらず (Oki ni nasarazu)

Oki ni nasarazu uses honorific language (nasarazu is the respectful negative form of nasaru, meaning "to do") to politely tell the other person not to worry. It carries a gentle, reassuring tone that works well in both spoken and written Japanese. You will see it frequently in business emails when a colleague thanks you for handling a task.

Business and Keigo Responses

In Japanese corporate culture, the boundaries between "thank you" and "you're welcome" blur into a system of mutual humility. These expressions reflect that.

恐れ入ります (Osore irimasu)

Osore irimasu is perhaps the most culturally rich expression on this list. Literally meaning "I am filled with fear/awe," it occupies a unique space in Japanese where it functions as both a thank-you and a you're-welcome. When someone thanks you, responding with osore irimasu conveys something like "I am the one who should feel humbled by this exchange." This bidirectional humility is a hallmark of keigo business Japanese.

You will hear bank tellers, hotel staff, and senior business professionals use osore irimasu in situations where both parties are expressing mutual gratitude. It is the linguistic embodiment of the Japanese concept that every social exchange creates reciprocal obligation.

Mutual Gratitude: Redirecting Thanks

こちらこそ (Kochira koso)

Kochira koso is the elegant Japanese art of returning thanks. Rather than accepting or deflecting gratitude, it redirects it entirely: "No, it is I who should be thanking you." This creates the mutual gratitude exchange (otagai-sama, お互い様) that Japanese culture values deeply.

You will hear kochira koso constantly at the end of meals, meetings, and social gatherings. When a host thanks you for coming, responding with Kochira koso, tanoshikatta desu (こちらこそ、楽しかったです, meaning "No, thank you, I had a wonderful time") is one of the most natural and socially graceful things you can say in Japanese.

When to Use Each Response: A Practical Guide

The Culture Behind the Deflection

Understanding why Japanese speakers avoid directly saying "you're welcome" is just as important as knowing the phrases themselves.

This is why studying "you're welcome" in Japanese teaches you something deeper than vocabulary. It reveals a communication style where modesty is not passive but active, a deliberate social skill that builds trust and connection. For learners visiting Japan, mastering even a simple iie, iie with a gentle hand wave will earn you immediate warmth from native speakers.

Practice With Real Japanese Content

Reading about these deflection patterns gives you the knowledge, but hearing them in real conversations (with the right intonation, timing, and body language) is what makes them second nature. Japanese dramas and films are perfect for this because characters constantly navigate thank-you exchanges across formality levels, from casual friend banter to keigo-heavy business scenes.

Wordy lets you watch Japanese movies and shows with interactive subtitles. Tap on any expression to see its meaning, romaji pronunciation, formality level, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing responses from a list, you absorb them from authentic conversations with native speakers.

For more Japanese content, explore our blog for guides including the best movies to learn Japanese. You can also visit our Japanese learning page to start practicing with real content today.