Saying お疲れ様でした to teacher at the end of a lesson?


I'm taking beginner Japanese lessons. Would お疲れ様でした be an appropriate thing
one might say to the teacher at the end of a lesson?

We're "colleagues" in a sense since I'm an academic at the same university;
but in the context of the lesson of course I'm a student and she is the
sensei.

If it makes any difference, the lesson finishes at 7pm, so it's the end of the
work day.

Would this be a good alternative to saying something like ありがとう ございます? What
other phrases would be appropriate in that context?




There is a very different dynamic between student and teacher than there is
between two colleagues, even colleagues occupying different places in the
hierarchy. You need to see yourself as having two separate identities in
relation to this teacher.

While you are in the role of a student, you should speak as a student. This is
especially important if you are in the company of other students.

You need to decide the point when you are stepping out of the role of student
and into the role of colleague and ensure that it matches or follows the point
at which your teacher has shed their role.

There may be subtle indicators that the teacher has shed their role. How they
speak to you, how they address you, and their general demeanor might be more
or less subtle clues.

All of this might, however, be of no special importance to your particular
teacher. Some people tend to be more or less concerned about what is
considered 'proper etiquette' and part of your job is to gauge your teacher's
position and if you can't, to err on the side of propriety.

Long story short, when you're in the classroom or in the presence of other
students immediately before/after class, ありがとうございました would likely be more
appropriate.




In this case, just saying お疲れ様でした would sound disrespectful, because she is
the sensei during the lessons, after all. After you reach an advanced level,
saying ありがとうございました first and adding お疲れ様でした would be nice:

> ○○先生、ありがとうございました。遅くまでお疲れ様でした。次回もよろしくお願いします。

But as a starter, let's never forget to say ありがとうございました.

