Japanese with Manga

Thank you for the water with ありがとうございました

Vocabulary Explanation: Ways to say thank you in Japanese

Manga panel from ひらやすみ showing example of Thank you for the water with ありがとうございました.
ひらやすみ » Volume 1 » Page 114

Natsumi tried making new friends from college only to end up drunk and abandoned. At class one day, she finds herself face to face with the helpful person who had found her and briefly helped her afterward.

なつみ:
「………　………　あのっ。」
“Um...”
「この前(まえ)水(みず)くれた方(かた)…ですよね？」
“You're the one who gave me water before...right?”
女(おんな):
「…はい。」
“...yes.”
なつみ:
「あ…あの時(とき)はありがとうございました。」
“Ah... Thank you for what you did back then.”
女(おんな):
「イエ…同(おな)じ科(か)の人(ひと)が倒(たお)れてると思(おも)って…」
“Not at all... I thought it was someone from the same department who had collapsed...”

Key Points

1ありがとうございました looks back on completed help
  • Natsumi is thanking the woman for helping her on an earlier occasion, so the past polite form fits better than ありがとうございます.
2あの時(とき)は = “back then” or “on that occasion”
  • は makes the earlier occasion the frame for Natsumi’s thanks.
3水(みず)くれた方(かた) = “the person who gave me water”
  • A fuller version is 水(みず)をくれた方(かた). Natsumi drops the object particle を in conversation.
  • くれた presents giving the water as help Natsumi received. 方(かた) is a respectful way to say “person”.
4ですよね asks for confirmation
  • Natsumi believes she recognizes the woman but wants to check. よ puts forward her conclusion, and ね asks the woman to confirm it.
5倒(たお)れてると思(おも)って trails off with an explanation
  • 倒(たお)れてる contracts 倒(たお)れている. With this verb, it describes the resulting state of having collapsed.
  • と marks 同(おな)じ科(か)の人(ひと)が倒(たお)れてる as what the woman thought. Ending on 思(おも)って… leaves her reason unfinished, which helps her modestly brush off the thanks.

Vocabulary

(That)

あの comes before a noun to mean “that” or “those”. It points to someone or something away from both speakers, or something they both know about.

(Time)

時(とき) means time, a moment, or an occasion.

(Think)

思う(おもう) means to think, feel, believe, expect, or hope.

See Also

ひらやすみ © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.