Formal to Acquaintance
Cultural · Dining
どうぞお構いなく。ありがとうございます。 — Please don't go to any trouble. Thank you. (Cultural · Dining, Formal to Acquaintance, JLPT N3)
You
どうぞお構いなく。ありがとうございます。
どうぞおかまいなく。ありがとうございます。
Please don't go to any trouble. Thank you.
Romaji: Douzo okamai naku. Arigatou gozaimasu. / Reply Romaji: Iie, douzo.
Reply
いいえ、どうぞ。
いいえ、どうぞ。
Not at all, please help yourself.
Gesture & etiquette
Wave one hand gently at chest height with a modest bow. This signals genuine reluctance, not ingratitude. When the host insists — which they will — bow again and accept with 「では、ありがたくいただきます。」Refusing twice or more can come across as rude.
In Japan, a guest is expected to decline offered refreshments at least once before accepting — accepting immediately can seem presumptuous. The host will typically insist, after which you should accept gracefully with 「では、ありがたくいただきます。」This ritual of decline-and-insistence is a standard part of Japanese hospitality.