gozaimasu VS Gozaimashta

[pugtm]

what is the difference between the two? are they interchangeable?

[frostyg02uk]

I found this confusing also. I think Gozaimashita is thanking someone for something they have already did. But i could be wrong i still dont fully understand it.

[pugtm]

well im just learning from pimsluer right now and it keeps on saying gozaimasu, But at kendo my sempai always use gozaimashta. so i assumed it was interchangeable. but I think im wrong.

[Han Chan]

I think the first is present and the second past tense.

[pugtm]

So gozaimasu is thank you right now and gozaimashta is i thanked you, or i thank you for somethign you already did?
just clarifying.

[Buntaro]

Han Chan is correct. We say arigatou gozaimasu for a favor we are about to receive, and we say arigatou gozaimashita for a favor we have just received.

[pugtm]

ok then arigato gozaimashita to both of you.

[frostyg02uk]

Thats what i said at the start. but when you enter a shop a women will say arigatou gozaimashita so things like that confuse me.

[Buntaro]

Frosty,

If the lady says Arigatou gozaimashita when you enter her shop, it is because of the favor you have just done (enter her shop), not for the favor you are about to do (spend money there). If you think about it, it would be rude of her to thank you for the money you are about to spend in her shop.

[frostyg02uk]

hm. but i always took it as a welcome. So i thought why would she thank me for coming to the shop when im already in it. Know what i mean?

[FrustratedDave]

what is the difference between the two? are they interchangeable?
In past tense they are interchangable.

[undrentide]

Thats what i said at the start. but when you enter a shop a women will say arigatou gozaimashita so things like that confuse me.

Frosty,

If the lady says Arigatou gozaimashita when you enter her shop, it is because of the favor you have just done (enter her shop), not for the favor you are about to do (spend money there). If you think about it, it would be rude of her to thank you for the money you are about to spend in her shop.

hm. but i always took it as a welcome. So i thought why would she thank me for coming to the shop when im already in it. Know what i mean?

Frosty, I wonder if the lady said "irasshaimase" to you or she said "arigatou gozaimashita" to someone else who is just leaving the shop at the same timing of your entrance?
Because I cannot think of a situation where shop keepers would say "arigatou gozaimashita" to a customer just arriving at their premises...
If she thanked you for the favours you've made in the past, still she would say "itsumo arigatou gozaimasu", unless you rescued her from something in the past (which is not a normal situation, though, is it?)

The one exception I can think of is it is not said by a lady but announcement in a big place like supermarket or departmentstore, when the closing time is approaching, they start saying "honjitsu wa goraiten itadaki arigatou gozaimashita. Heiten no jikan to narimashita. Mata no okoshi wo omachi shite orimasu..." (Thank you for coming to our shop today. We'll be closed soon. We look forward to your coming agian.)

[FrustratedDave]

"honjitsu wa goraiten itadaki arigatou gozaimashita. Heiten no jikan to narimashita. Mata no okoshi wo omachi shite orimasu..."
I feel like a gaijin reading this romaji! LOL:p

[Elizabeth]

In past tense they are interchangable.
I know in the immediate past there isn't that much difference. But you can always use "arigatou gozaimasu" to thank someone for their gift ten years ago? Or their kindness last May ? :souka:

http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18924&highlight=time

[FrustratedDave]

I know in the immediate past there isn't that much difference. But you can always use "arigatou gozaimasu" to thank someone for their gift last month ? Or their kindness last year ? :souka:

http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18924&highlight=time
Thats was my intention with that statement. Sorry if it was hard to understand, I was in a rush. To elaborate, when I said past tense, I was meaning that when used after the fact, like in your example a month later you can use both without any problems.
Eg, "先月は書類を提出していただいて、ありがとうございます。"