どうぞ・どうも

When to use it

どうぞ goes with giving: handing something over (どうぞ), offering a seat (どうぞお座りください), granting permission (入ってもいいですか。— どうぞ), letting someone go first (お先にどうぞ). どうも is the all-purpose acknowledgement from the receiving side: a short thanks (どうも), a greeting when passing someone (どうも！), and an intensifier before ありがとう, すみません, 失礼しました. The classic exchange is どうぞ → どうも.

どうも alone is casual. To superiors and customers complete it: どうもありがとうございます, どうもすみませんでした.

Examples

• どうぞ、お先に。— どうも。（どうぞ、おさき に。— どうも）— After you. — Thanks.
• こちらにお座りください。どうぞ。（こちら に おすわり ください。どうぞ）— Please sit here. Go ahead.
• 先日はどうもありがとうございました。（せんじつ は どうも ありがとう ございました）— Thank you very much for the other day.

Traps for Spanish, English and French speakers

• ‘Por favor’, ‘s’il vous plaît’ and ‘please’ serve both when asking and when granting, so learners say どうぞ手伝ってください to ask for help. どうぞ only grants and offers; asking is お願いします / ください. どうぞ手伝ってください says ‘feel free to help me’, as if you were doing them the favour.
• French ‘je vous en prie’ means both ‘go ahead’ and ‘you’re welcome’, so French speakers answer ありがとう with どうぞ. どうぞ never means ‘you’re welcome’; the reply is いえいえ or どういたしまして.
• The pair is directional: giver どうぞ, receiver どうも. Learners hand over a gift saying どうも and accept it saying どうぞ, which sounds like offering it back.
• どうも on its own is what you say to the neighbour on the stairs, not to the client who has just paid. Finish the phrase: どうもありがとうございます.