How to Say ‘You're welcome.’ in Japanese
どういたしまして
dou itashi mashi te
[doh ee-tah-shee mah-shee teh]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese speakers do use [どういたしまして], but less often than textbooks suggest. After small help like giving directions, many people simply smile or say [いいえ].
Phrase Breakdown
どう
dou
[doh]
how / in what way (as part of phrase)
どう literally means “how,” but in どういたしまして it’s a fixed set phrase meaning “You’re welcome.” Don’t translate word-by-word in conversation.
ありがとうございます。どういたしまして。
Thank you. You’re welcome.
いたし
itashi
[ee-tah-shee]
(humble form) do / serve (as part of phrase)
いたし is from いたす, a humble form of する (“to do”). In どういたしまして it forms a polite set response to thanks: “You’re welcome.”
駅を案内してくれてありがとうございます。どういたしまして。
Thank you for guiding me to the station. You’re welcome.
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
(polite stem, part of phrase)
まし is the stem used in polite forms like 〜ました / 〜まして. Here it appears inside the fixed phrase どういたしまして.
助かりました、ありがとうございます。どういたしまして。
That helped a lot, thank you. You’re welcome.
て
te
[teh]
and / in that way (as part of phrase)
て often connects actions or forms set expressions. In どういたしまして it completes the fixed polite phrase meaning “You’re welcome.”
ありがとうございます。どういたしまして。気をつけて。
Thank you. You’re welcome. Take care.
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