1.
thank you for your hard work; thanks for the trouble
An expression used to thank someone for their effort or labor, typically said by someone of higher status to someone of lower status. Carries a nuance of acknowledging the difficulty of the work.
ご苦労さまです。
Thank you for your hard work.
An important social expression in Japanese with strict usage rules based on social hierarchy.
Usage
- Used by a superior to a subordinate, or to service workers (delivery people, repairmen, etc.)
- NOT appropriate from a subordinate to a superior — use お疲れさまです instead
- Using ご苦労さまです to a boss or senior colleague is considered rude
- ご苦労さまでした (past tense) is used when the work is completed
Forms
- ご苦労さま: slightly less formal
- ご苦労さまでした: past tense, used when work is done
- ご苦労さん: casual, among friends or to children
Similar words
- お疲れさまです: thank you for your work — safe to use with anyone, including superiors
- お疲れさまでした: thank you for your work (completed) — the standard end-of-day greeting
Related Words
Compare:
お疲れさまです (thank you for your work)