お疲(つか)れ様(さま)

おつかれさま
expression
good work; thank you for your hard work
politegreeting
1. good work; thank you for your hard work
An expression used to acknowledge someone's effort, commonly used when parting after work or finishing a task.
今日(きょう)もお疲(つか)れ様(さま)でした。
Thank you for your hard work today.
Formal version with でした
「お先(さき)に失礼(しつれい)します」「お疲(つか)れ様(さま)です」
"I'm heading home now." "Thanks for all your work today."
「お疲(つか)れ様(さま)」「お疲(つか)れ」
"Good work." "You too."
Casual exchange
会議(かいぎ)が終(お)わって、みんなに「お疲(つか)れ様(さま)でした」と言(い)った。
After the meeting ended, I said 'good work' to everyone.
遅(おそ)くまで残業(ざんぎょう)した同僚(どうりょう)に「お疲(つか)れ様(さま)、大変(たいへん)だったね」と声(こえ)をかけた。
I said to the colleague who worked overtime late, 'Good work, that must have been tough.'

お疲(つか)れ様(さま) acknowledges someone's effort. At work it does many jobs: a greeting when passing a colleague in the corridor, the reply to someone leaving for the day, and a thank-you at the end of a meeting or project.

Forms

  • お疲(つか)れ様(さま)です: polite, for colleagues and superiors during the day
  • お疲(つか)れ様(さま)でした: after the work is finished (end of the day, of a meeting, of a project)
  • お疲(つか)れ: casual, among friends and peers; also おつ in very casual speech and online

Common patterns

Watch out

ご苦労(くろう)様(さま) also thanks someone for their effort, but it is said by a superior to a subordinate (or to a delivery person). Saying ご苦労(くろう)様(さま) to your boss sounds condescending; お疲(つか)れ様(さま)です is safe with anyone.

Related Words

Compare: ご苦労様(くろうさま) (to subordinates only)

Related Articles

Greetings and Set Phrases for Everyday Life
core
Added 2026.1.16 12:28 · Revised 2026.10.18 9:25
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