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How to Say You're Welcome in Japanese

You're welcome in Japanese is どういたしまして (dou itashimashite), but honestly, most Japanese people use shorter, more casual responses. Welcome as a greeting is ようこそ (youkoso). Let's learn all the ways to respond to thanks and welcome people.

Ways to Say You're Welcome

どういたしまして is textbook Japanese, but these alternatives are used more often in real life:

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
どういたしまして	どういたしまして	dou itashimashite	You're welcome (formal, textbook)
いいえ	いいえ	iie	No (as in "no problem")
いえいえ	いえいえ	ie ie	No no (humble deflection)
とんでもないです	とんでもないです	tondemonai desu	Not at all (polite, humble)
こちらこそ	こちらこそ	kochira koso	I should be thanking you
全然	ぜんぜん	zenzen	Not at all (casual)
大丈夫だよ	だいじょうぶだよ	daijoubu da yo	It's all good (casual)

どういたしましてどういたしまして

dou itashimashiteYou're welcome (formal, textbook)

いいえいいえ

iieNo (as in "no problem")

いえいえいえいえ

ie ieNo no (humble deflection)

とんでもないですとんでもないです

tondemonai desuNot at all (polite, humble)

こちらこそこちらこそ

kochira kosoI should be thanking you

全然ぜんぜん

zenzenNot at all (casual)

大丈夫だよだいじょうぶだよ

daijoubu da yoIt's all good (casual)

Why Japanese People Rarely Say どういたしまして

Every Japanese textbook teaches どういたしまして as "you're welcome," but in practice, most Japanese speakers deflect thanks rather than accept them. This comes from the cultural value of 謙遜 (kenson) — humility. Accepting thanks directly can feel like acknowledging that you did something worthy of gratitude, which feels boastful. Instead, Japanese speakers minimize their contribution with phrases like いえいえ (ie ie, "no no") or とんでもない (tondemonai, "not at all").

Welcome as a Greeting

Different ways to welcome someone:

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
ようこそ	ようこそ	youkoso	Welcome (to a place)
いらっしゃいませ	いらっしゃいませ	irasshaimase	Welcome (to a shop/restaurant)
おかえりなさい	おかえりなさい	okaerinasai	Welcome back (to someone returning home)
おかえり	おかえり	okaeri	Welcome back (casual)

ようこそようこそ

youkosoWelcome (to a place)

いらっしゃいませいらっしゃいませ

irasshaimaseWelcome (to a shop/restaurant)

おかえりなさいおかえりなさい

okaerinasaiWelcome back (to someone returning home)

おかえりおかえり

okaeriWelcome back (casual)

Natural Thank You / You're Welcome Exchange

How a real exchange sounds in Japanese:

手伝ってくれてありがとう！ — いえいえ、こちらこそ。

Tetsudatte kurete arigatou! — Ie ie, kochira koso.

"Thanks for helping me! — No no, I should be thanking you."

いらっしゃいませ — The Sound of Japan

Walk into any shop, restaurant, or convenience store in Japan and you will hear いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase). This enthusiastic "welcome" is called out by staff, sometimes shouted in unison. You do not need to respond to it — a small nod or smile is enough. Some tourists feel awkward not responding, but Japanese customers typically do not reply verbally either.

Common Questions

Do I need to respond to irasshaimase?

No. いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) is a staff greeting at shops and restaurants. Japanese customers typically acknowledge it with a slight nod or smile, or simply ignore it. There is no expected verbal response.

What is the difference between youkoso and irasshaimase?

ようこそ (youkoso) is a general welcome, like welcoming someone to a city, country, or event ("Welcome to Japan!"). いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) is specifically used by service staff welcoming customers into a business.

Is dou itashimashite rude?

It is not rude, just uncommon in natural conversation. It sounds slightly formal and textbook-like. Japanese speakers prefer humbler responses. However, using it as a foreigner is perfectly fine and no one will think it is strange.

How do you respond when someone comes home in Japanese?

When someone arrives home and says ただいま (tadaima, meaning "I'm home"), you respond with おかえりなさい (okaerinasai) or the casual おかえり (okaeri), meaning "welcome back." This is one of the most iconic daily exchanges in Japanese households.