Common mistakes with お疲れ様

Using it like "hello" with strangers on the street Forgetting です in formal workplaces

N5 · Phrase guide

Otsukaresama — Japan's Daily "Good Job"

お疲れ様

おつかれさま

Thanks for your hard work / good job

Acknowledges shared effort and fatigue. Used when leaving work, finishing a task, or greeting someone after their shift.

お疲れ様です is safer at work; お疲れ alone is casual among peers. Saying it to a superior leaving first can feel odd—usually they say it to you.

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