– Vol.12 –
ARC teacher Mimi Sensei will answer your questions regarding Japanese language.
Ａ：
Well, it also happens after my classes, when the lesson is over, some of my students would come to the teacher’s desk with a big smile saying “otsukaresama deshita”. Moreover, they are good and very capable students. In class we’ve learned that saying “gokurosamadeshita” to your superiors or elders is rude, while it’s okay to use “otsukaresamadeshita” also with your boss or seniors. I understand why it becomes natural for students to use “otsukaresama” with teachers as well…
But in reality, “otsukaresama deshita” is a very common greeting mainly used between colleagues that are working together in the same company. The type of relationship student/teacher is not the same as one of two coworkers.
It’s likely that your teacher felt a little bit uncomfortable because of that.
So, if you want to say something different than “sayonara”, a simple “arigato gozaimashita” would do perfectly! And your teacher will definitely appreciate it❣ ?
