"Thank you" in Japanese

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In textbooks, the Japanese word for "thank you" is explained as "Arigato." 

Polite form being"arigato gozaimasu  ありがとうございます。

Yes, we do use them.

But I would say "domo" is the commonest expression for "thank you." どうも。

"Arigato" can be used only among friends. It will be rude if you say "Arigato" to a person older than you.

"Arigato gozaimasu" is polite, but it may sound a little too polite.If you say "Arigato gozaimasu" each time, people may look on you as humbling yourself too much.

"domo" is a convenient word. You can say it to whomever you want to thank.It is not too light or too heavy. When someone has done something for you, you can say "domo." For example, when someone picks up the handkerchief you have dropped, you can say "domo" to him or her.

The speed of saying it is important. The slower you say it, the more you can express your gratitude and politeness. When you want to say "Thanks." to your friends, you can say "domo" quickly. But a quick "domo" is not appropriate when you have, for instance, been helped a lot by others. In that case, you should say slowly, "Ah...Do..mo.."

You should not forget to bow to the person you thank!

Another common expression is "Suimasen" or "Sumimasen." すみません。

In textbooks, these are explained as expression for apology. Yes, it is true. But you should remember these words are often used for expressing your gratitude.

If you are not confident about controlling the speed of saying "domo," it will be safer to use "suimasen" instead, especially when you thank a person older than you.

And because "Suimasen" is used for both apology and appreciation, Japanese learners of English are often confused. They sometimes say "I'm sorry" in English when you give a nice birthday present to them!