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.
今日もお疲れ様でした。
Thank you for your hard work today.
Formal version with でした
お疲れ様、先に帰ります。
Good work, I'm heading home first.
「お疲れ様」「お疲れ」
"Good work." "You too."
Casual exchange
会議が終わって、みんなに「お疲れ様でした」と言った。
After the meeting ended, I said 'good work' to everyone.
遅くまで残業した同僚に「お疲れ様、大変だったね」と声をかけた。
I said to the colleague who worked overtime late, 'Good work, that must have been tough.'
お疲れ様 is one of the most frequently used expressions in Japanese workplace culture.
FORMS:
- お疲れ様です: polite (colleagues, general)
- お疲れ様でした: past tense (end of work/meeting)
- お疲れ: casual (friends, peers)
- お疲れ〜: very casual
USAGE:
- As a greeting when meeting colleagues
- As a farewell after work
- To acknowledge someone's effort
- When finishing a project or meeting
NOTE: Often abbreviated to お疲れ or おつ in casual contexts.