Thanking for What Someone Did
To thank someone for an action rather than a thing, put the verb in the て form and add くれてありがとう:
- 手伝ってくれてありがとう。(Thanks for helping me.)
- 来てくれてありがとう。(Thanks for coming.)
The くれて is doing real work — it marks the action as a favour done for you. See てくれる.
Politeness Levels
| Form | Register |
|---|---|
| 手伝ってくれてありがとう | casual |
| 手伝ってくれてありがとうございます | polite |
| 手伝っていただいてありがとうございます | formal |
| 手伝っていただき、誠にありがとうございます | very formal |
いただいて is the humble version — use it upward.
Apologising for What You Did
The same shape with すみません:
- 遅れてすみません。(Sorry for being late.)
- 待たせてすみません。(Sorry to have kept you waiting.)
Note 待たせて — the causative. You are apologising for making them wait.
ありがとう Tense
Both tenses appear, with a nuance:
- 来てくれてありがとう。— thanks for coming (they are here now)
- 来てくれてありがとうございました。— thank you for having come (as they leave)
The past form closes an occasion, which is why shop staff use it as you go.
すみません Does Three Jobs
- Apology — 遅れてすみません。
- Thanks — わざわざ来てくれてすみません。(Sorry to have troubled you to come.)
- Getting attention — すみません、ちょっといいですか。
The second one surprises learners: Japanese often thanks by apologising for the trouble caused.