Hello, I’m Kodak.
If you work with Japanese people, join a club, watch office dramas, or read Japanese group chats, you will probably encounter the phrase:
お疲れ様です。
Otsukaresama desu.
This phrase is often translated as “Good work” or “Thank you for your hard work.” However, those translations do not cover every situation.
Depending on the context, お疲れ様 can function like “good work,” “thanks,” “hello,” “see you,” or an acknowledgment that someone has made an effort.
① what お疲れ様 (otsukaresama) means
② why there is no single perfect English translation
③ how the expression is built from お + 疲れ + 様
④ the difference between お疲れ様, お疲れ様です, and お疲れ様でした
⑤ when to use it at work, after an activity, in email, and in chat
⑥ whether you can say it to a boss, customer, friend, or stranger
⑦ how it differs from ありがとう, ご苦労様, and お世話になっております
⑧ natural examples, replies, and anime-style dialogue
Today’s Japanese expression is お疲れ様 (otsukaresama)!
It is made from お (polite prefix) + 疲れ (tiredness / effort) + 様 (respectful suffix).
Its core image is “I recognize the energy and effort you have used.”
That is why お疲れ様 can communicate appreciation, consideration, solidarity, or simply a workplace greeting.
What Does お疲れ様 (Otsukaresama) Mean?
お疲れ様 is a conventional Japanese expression used to acknowledge another person’s effort, work, participation, or tiredness.
⇒ Good work.
⇒ Thanks for your effort.
⇒ Thank you for your help.
⇒ You must be tired.
⇒ Hi / Hello. (inside a workplace or team)
⇒ See you / Have a good evening. (when leaving work)
The best English translation depends on what the phrase is doing in that particular conversation.
今日はお疲れ様でした。
Kyō wa otsukaresama deshita.
Good work today. / Thanks for your work today.
お疲れ様です。資料を確認しました。
Otsukaresama desu. Shiryō o kakunin shimashita.
Hi. I’ve checked the materials. (internal work message)
じゃあ、お疲れ様！
Jā, otsukaresama!
All right, see you! / Good work today!
The Core Image of お疲れ様: Recognizing Someone’s Effort
The expression becomes easier to understand when divided into three parts.
A polite or honorific prefix that makes the expression more respectful
疲れ (tsukare)
Tiredness, fatigue, or the result of using physical and mental energy
様 (sama)
A respectful suffix; here it helps form a polite set expression
お + 疲れ + 様
⇒ respectful acknowledgment of another person’s tiredness or effort
The phrase does not necessarily mean that the other person looks physically exhausted. It often means:
“I recognize what you have done.”
“We have been working through this together.”
“Thank you, and take care after your work.”
Why Can お疲れ様 Mean “Good Work,” “Thanks,” “Hello,” and “Goodbye”?
English usually chooses a different phrase for each situation. Japanese can use お疲れ様 across several stages of a shared activity or workplace relationship.
After someone completes a task
⇒ Good work. / Thanks for your effort.
When greeting a colleague
⇒ Hi. / Hello. / Hope things are going well.
At the beginning of an internal message
⇒ Hello. / Thanks as always.
When someone leaves work
⇒ See you. / Have a good evening.
After a shared activity
⇒ Nice work. / Thanks, everyone.
Pronunciation and Writing of お疲れ様
Mixed kana: お疲れさま
Hiragana: おつかれさま
Katakana: オツカレサマ
Romaji: otsukaresama
Mora: お・つ・か・れ・さ・ま (6 morae)
お疲れ様, お疲れさま, and おつかれさま are all understandable. The form with kanji is common in workplace messages, while hiragana can look softer and more casual.
The katakana form オツカレサマ is used mainly for stylistic emphasis in manga, advertising, design, or social-media posts.
お疲れ様, お疲れ様です, and お疲れ様でした
お疲れ様: Casual or Concise
お疲れ様 is the base expression. It can be used among colleagues of similar status, teammates, friends, or people who have completed an activity together.
今日もお疲れ様！
Kyō mo otsukaresama!
Good work today!
お疲れ様です: Polite and Widely Used Inside Organizations
です makes the phrase more polite. It is common when greeting coworkers, speaking to a superior, or opening an internal company message.
お疲れ様です。少しよろしいですか？
Otsukaresama desu. Sukoshi yoroshii desu ka?
Hi. Do you have a moment?
田中さん、お疲れ様です。
Tanaka-san, otsukaresama desu.
Hello, Tanaka. / Thanks for your work.
お疲れ様でした: After Completed Work or an Event
でした presents the effort or activity as completed. It is therefore especially natural after a shift, meeting, performance, game, project, or event.
今日の会議、お疲れ様でした。
Kyō no kaigi, otsukaresama deshita.
Good work in today’s meeting. / Thanks for your work today.
大会、お疲れ様でした！
Taikai, otsukaresama deshita!
Great job at the tournament!
When to Use お疲れ様
1. After Someone Finishes a Task
This is the most literal and easiest use for learners.
資料の作成、お疲れ様でした。
Shiryō no sakusei, otsukaresama deshita.
Thank you for preparing the materials.
長時間の運転、お疲れ様。
Chōjikan no unten, otsukaresama.
You must be tired after the long drive. / Thanks for driving so long.
2. When Greeting Coworkers
Inside many Japanese workplaces, coworkers may say お疲れ様です when they meet in a hallway, enter a room, begin a conversation, or contact one another during the day.
お疲れ様です。今、少しお時間ありますか？
Otsukaresama desu. Ima, sukoshi ojikan arimasu ka?
Hi. Do you have a little time now?
Here, translating it as “Thanks for your hard work” would sound unnatural. Its practical function is closer to an internal greeting.
3. When Leaving Work
A person leaving often says お先に失礼します. The coworkers who remain may reply with お疲れ様です or お疲れ様でした.
Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.
Excuse me for leaving before you.
B: お疲れ様でした。
Otsukaresama deshita.
Good work today. / See you.
4. After a Club, Practice, Match, Performance, or Event
The expression is not limited to office work. It is also common after shared activities.
練習お疲れ様！
Renshū otsukaresama!
Good job at practice!
ライブ、お疲れ様でした！
Raibu, otsukaresama deshita!
Great job at the concert!
試験、お疲れ様。
Shiken, otsukaresama.
Good job getting through the exam. / The exam must have been tiring.
5. At the Beginning of an Internal Email or Chat Message
Japanese employees often begin internal messages with お疲れ様です.
先ほどの会議資料を共有いたします。
Otsukaresama desu. Eigyōbu no Tanaka desu.
Hello, this is Tanaka from Sales.
I am sharing the materials from the meeting.
It functions as a relationship-maintaining greeting before the main message.
6. To Acknowledge Someone’s Continuing Effort
The task does not always need to be completely finished.
毎日遅くまでお疲れ様です。
Mainichi osoku made otsukaresama desu.
Thank you for working late every day. / You’ve been working very hard.
Can You Say お疲れ様 to Your Boss?
Yes. In modern workplace usage, お疲れ様です and お疲れ様でした are commonly used toward supervisors and senior coworkers.
お疲れ様です。
お疲れ様でした。
To a close coworker:
お疲れ様！
お疲れ！
おつかれ！
Can You Say お疲れ様 to Customers or Clients?
Usually, お疲れ様です is an internal expression used among people who share a workplace, project, team, or activity.
When contacting a customer, supplier, or outside business partner, use a greeting suited to the external relationship.
お疲れ様です。
Outside business contact:
いつもお世話になっております。
Itsumo osewa ni natte orimasu.
Thank you for your continued support.
For specific help:
ご対応ありがとうございます。
Go-taiō arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you for your assistance.
There are exceptions. For example, after a jointly completed event, a client may also be included in a natural お疲れ様でした. Still, learners should avoid treating it as the default opening for every external business email.
Can You Use お疲れ様 with Friends?
Yes. Friends commonly use it after school, sports, work, travel, performances, exams, gaming sessions, creative projects, and other shared activities.
バイトお疲れ！
Baito otsukare!
Good work at your part-time job!
今日の配信、おつかれさま！
Kyō no haishin, otsukaresama!
Great job on today’s stream!
遠いところまでお疲れ様。
Tōi tokoro made otsukaresama.
Thanks for coming all this way. / You must be tired after traveling so far.
Among close friends, the shortened form お疲れ or the hiragana spelling おつかれ is very common.
What Does お疲れ (Otsukare) Mean?
お疲れ is a shortened casual version of お疲れ様.
Polite; coworkers, seniors, workplace messages
お疲れ様
Neutral-casual; coworkers, teammates, friends
お疲れ / おつかれ
Casual; close coworkers, teammates, friends, chats
じゃ、お疲れ！
Ja, otsukare!
All right, see you!
撮影おつかれー！
Satsuei otsukarē!
Nice work on the shoot!
Lengthening the final vowel, as in おつかれー, gives the phrase a very casual, friendly, chat-like tone.
How to Reply to お疲れ様
The easiest response is to return the same expression.
B: お疲れ様です。
A: 今日はお疲れ様でした。
B: お疲れ様でした。
A: お疲れ！
B: お疲れ！
You can also add thanks or another appropriate response.
お疲れ様です。ありがとうございます。
Otsukaresama desu. Arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
お疲れ様でした。また明日。
Otsukaresama deshita. Mata ashita.
Good work today. See you tomorrow.
こちらこそ、お疲れ様でした。
Kochira koso, otsukaresama deshita.
Same to you. Thank you for your work as well.
お疲れ様 vs 疲れた
These expressions both contain 疲れ, but they do very different jobs.
“I’m tired.”
Describes the speaker’s or another person’s tired state.
お疲れ様 (otsukaresama)
“Good work.” / “Thanks for your effort.”
Acknowledges another person’s work, participation, or tiredness.
今日は疲れた。
Kyō wa tsukareta.
I’m tired today.
今日はお疲れ様でした。
Kyō wa otsukaresama deshita.
Good work today. / Thanks for your work today.
For a full explanation of 疲れた, see What Does 疲れた (Tsukareta) Mean?
お疲れ様 vs ありがとう
Both expressions can communicate appreciation, but their focus differs.
Acknowledges effort, work, participation, or shared activity.
ありがとう
Directly thanks someone for something they did for you.
会議の準備、お疲れ様でした。
Good work preparing for the meeting.
⇒ Focus on the effort and work.
会議の準備をしてくれて、ありがとうございました。
Thank you for preparing for the meeting.
⇒ Direct thanks for a specific favor.
お疲れ様 vs ご苦労様
お疲れ様 and ご苦労様 both express consideration, appreciation, or recognition of effort. However, their usual social range and focus differ.
Focuses on the other person’s tiredness or expenditure of energy.
Common among people working or participating together.
Widely used toward coworkers and superiors.
ご苦労様
Focuses more on the difficulty or labor involved in the task.
Often associated with a person in a higher or outside position acknowledging another person’s work.
Can sound inappropriate or condescending when used upward, so learners should use it carefully.
部長、お疲れ様でした。
Buchō, otsukaresama deshita.
Good work today. (natural toward a superior)
配達、ご苦労様です。
Haitatsu, gokurōsama desu.
Thank you for making the delivery. (possible, but ありがとうございます is often safer)
The difference is not governed by one absolute rule in every community. Nevertheless, お疲れ様です is the safer choice for a Japanese learner speaking to a supervisor or senior colleague.
お疲れ様 vs お世話になっております
Typical internal greeting among coworkers or members of the same organization.
お世話になっております
Typical external business greeting for customers, clients, suppliers, and partner organizations.
お疲れ様です。人事部の佐藤です。
Hello, this is Sato from Human Resources.
External email
いつもお世話になっております。株式会社〇〇の佐藤です。
Thank you for your continued support. This is Sato from XX Corporation.
お疲れ様 vs 頑張って
These expressions point in different time directions.
Before or during the effort
⇒ Good luck. / Do your best. / Keep going.
お疲れ様 (otsukaresama)
During or after the effort, acknowledging energy already used
⇒ Good work. / Thanks for your effort.
試験、頑張って！
Shiken, ganbatte!
Good luck on the exam!
試験、お疲れ様！
Shiken, otsukaresama!
Good job getting through the exam!
Is お疲れ様 Used When Someone Is Sick?
お疲れ様 is not normally a substitute for “Get well soon.” If someone is ill or injured, use expressions such as:
Odaiji ni.
Take care. / Get well soon.
無理しないでください。
Muri shinaide kudasai.
Please don’t overdo it.
ゆっくり休んでください。
Yukkuri yasunde kudasai.
Please get plenty of rest.
When someone is both working hard and feeling unwell, you may combine ideas: お疲れ様です。無理しないでくださいね。
お疲れ様 in Anime, Manga, and Online Content
Anime and manga often show the same forms heard in real workplaces, clubs, sports teams, and creative groups.
Otsukaresama desu, senpai.
Good work, senpai. / Hello, senpai.
みんな、今日はお疲れ！
Minna, kyō wa otsukare!
Good work today, everyone!
任務、お疲れ様でした。
Ninmu, otsukaresama deshita.
Good work on the mission.
配信おつかれさまでした！
Haishin otsukaresama deshita!
Great stream! / Thanks for streaming!
In online communities, viewers may post おつかれさま, おつかれ！, or simply おつ after a stream, match, event, or collaborative session.
Natural Example Sentences with お疲れ様
今日も一日、お疲れ様でした。
Kyō mo ichinichi, otsukaresama deshita.
Good work today.
遅くまでお疲れ様です。
Osoku made otsukaresama desu.
Thank you for working so late.
長い会議、お疲れ様でした。
Nagai kaigi, otsukaresama deshita.
Good work getting through the long meeting.
出張お疲れ様でした。
Shutchō otsukaresama deshita.
Thank you for your work on the business trip. / You must be tired after the trip.
昨日はイベントの運営、お疲れ様でした。
Kinō wa ibento no un’ei, otsukaresama deshita.
Thank you for running the event yesterday.
お疲れ様です。先ほどメールを送りました。
Otsukaresama desu. Sakihodo mēru o okurimashita.
Hi. I sent the email a little while ago.
今日はこれで終わりです。皆さん、お疲れ様でした。
Kyō wa kore de owari desu. Minasan, otsukaresama deshita.
That’s all for today. Good work, everyone.
試合お疲れ！次も頑張ろう。
Shiai otsukare! Tsugi mo ganbarō.
Good game! Let’s do our best next time too.
遠くから来てくれて、お疲れ様。
Tōku kara kite kurete, otsukaresama.
Thanks for coming all this way.
Common Mistakes with お疲れ様
Mistake 1: Translating It Literally Every Time
Unnatural literal translation:
“You are honorably tired. Please check this.”
Natural translation:
“Hi. Could you please check this?”
Mistake 2: Using It as a Universal Greeting
It is not the equivalent of こんにちは in every situation. It is strongest where people share work, effort, membership, or an activity.
Mistake 3: Saying It to Every Customer
For an outside business contact, お世話になっております or a direct expression of thanks is usually more appropriate.
Mistake 4: Assuming the Other Person Must Look Tired
You may say お疲れ様です even when the person looks energetic. The phrase acknowledges effort rather than diagnosing their physical condition.
Mistake 5: Using お疲れ with a Senior Person Too Soon
お疲れ is casual. Use お疲れ様です until you are sure the shorter form fits your relationship.
Mistake 6: Confusing It with “I’m Tired”
⇒ 疲れた。
“Good work / Thanks for your effort.”
⇒ お疲れ様。
Origin and History of お疲れ様
The expression is built on the noun 疲れ, derived from the verb 疲れる, meaning that physical strength or mental energy declines.
The polite prefix お and respectful suffix 様 turn the recognition of another person’s tiredness into a courteous expression.
疲れ
physical or mental energy has been used
↓
お疲れ
a polite reference to another person’s tiredness
↓
お疲れ様
a respectful acknowledgment of effort and fatigue
↓
a conventional greeting among coworkers, teammates, and participants
A dictionary entry in Seisenban Nihon Kokugo Daijiten gives a written example of お疲れ様 from Natsume Sōseki’s novel Meian (1916). This is the dictionary’s earliest cited example, not proof that the phrase was first invented in that year.
FAQ About お疲れ様
What does otsukaresama mean in English?
Depending on the situation, it can mean “good work,” “thanks for your effort,” “hello,” “see you,” or “you must be tired.” Its core function is to acknowledge another person’s effort.
What does otsukaresama desu mean?
お疲れ様です is the polite form. It is frequently used among coworkers as a greeting, an acknowledgment of effort, or the opening of an internal work message.
What does otsukaresama deshita mean?
お疲れ様でした is especially natural after work, a meeting, event, shift, game, or other completed activity. It can mean “good work” or “thank you for your effort.”
What is the difference between otsukare and otsukaresama?
お疲れ is a casual shortened form. お疲れ様 is more respectful, and お疲れ様です is the safest polite form in a workplace.
Can I say otsukaresama to my boss?
Yes. お疲れ様です and お疲れ様でした are commonly used toward bosses and senior coworkers within the same organization.
Can I say otsukaresama to a customer?
It is usually an internal or shared-activity expression. For customers and outside business contacts, お世話になっております or a direct expression of thanks is generally safer.
Is otsukaresama rude?
No. It is normally polite and considerate. However, the shortened お疲れ may be too casual for a superior, and the full expression may be unsuitable as a generic greeting to an outside customer.
How should I reply to otsukaresama?
You can simply reply お疲れ様です, お疲れ様でした, or the same casual form used by the other person.
Does otsukaresama mean “I’m tired”?
No. “I’m tired” is normally 疲れた. お疲れ様 acknowledges someone else’s effort or tiredness.
Is otsukaresama the same as arigatou?
Not exactly. ありがとう directly thanks someone for something. お疲れ様 recognizes effort, work, or participation. They can be used together.
What is the difference between otsukaresama and gokurousama?
Both can acknowledge effort. お疲れ様 is widely exchanged among people working together and is commonly used toward superiors. ご苦労様 can carry a more top-down tone, so learners should avoid using it toward a boss.
Can I say otsukaresama before work is finished?
Yes. お疲れ様です can acknowledge ongoing work or function as an internal workplace greeting. お疲れ様でした more clearly frames the activity as completed.
How do you write otsukaresama in Japanese?
Common forms are お疲れ様, お疲れさま, and おつかれさま.
Summary: The Meaning and Usage of お疲れ様
お疲れ様 acknowledges another person’s effort, work, participation, or tiredness.
● Natural English translations
Good work. / Thanks for your effort. / Hi. / See you. / You must be tired.
● Word structure
お (polite prefix) + 疲れ (tiredness / effort used) + 様 (respectful suffix)
● Main forms
お疲れ様です = polite, common workplace form
お疲れ様でした = especially natural after completed work or an event
お疲れ / おつかれ = casual form
● Best situations
Coworkers, teammates, shared projects, club activities, internal messages, and leave-taking after work
● Important caution
It is not a universal “hello” and is not always the best opening for customers or outside business partners.
● Related expressions
疲れた = I’m tired
ありがとう = Thank you
ご苦労様 = acknowledgment of labor; use carefully with status differences
お世話になっております = standard external business greeting
Do not memorize お疲れ様 as only one English sentence.
Remember its core image instead: “I recognize the effort and energy you have used.”
Once you understand that image, its uses as good work, thanks, hello, and goodbye all begin to make sense!
References
- Kotobank: お疲れ様 — definition as an expression recognizing another person’s labor and as a workplace leave-taking greeting.
- Kotobank: 御疲様 — historical dictionary entry and cited example from Natsume Sōseki’s Meian.
- National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics: ご苦労様 and お疲れ様 — explanation of the difference in focus between the two expressions.
- Kotobank: 疲れる — meanings and historical examples of the verb behind 疲れ.
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Survey on the Japanese Language — reported usage of お疲れ様 and ご苦労様 across workplace status relationships.