Difference お疲れ様です vs お疲れ様でした while leaving from office?


Most of the time, I use to say "お疲れ様です" while someone else leaving the office.
But many of my colleagues say "お疲れ様でした". Does it have any difference?

Also, I want to know, can we use "お疲れ様です" while working in the office to any
super senior person like CEO of the company and etc..




The difference is small, but お疲れさまです is a generic greeting used in business
settings, whereas お疲れさまでした explicitly states someone's work is over for today.
In everyday exchanges, whichever is fine, but お疲れ様です may sound relatively a
little bit more friendly/casual, and お疲れさまでした may sound a little bit more
polite/formal. If you want to clearly express a feeling of appreciation after
someone finished a difficult job (i.e., "thank you, well done"), お疲れ様でした is
always better.

You can usually safely use お疲れ様です to someone who is much higher than you
(although there may be a better phrase, like よろしくお願いします/ありがとうございました if it's a
visit for 視察).




The difference is small, but お疲れさまです is a generic greeting used in business
settings, whereas お疲れさまでした explicitly states someone's work is over for today.
In everyday exchanges, whichever is fine, but お疲れ様です may sound relatively a
little bit more friendly/casual, and お疲れさまでした may sound a little bit more
polite/formal. If you want to clearly express a feeling of appreciation after
someone finished a difficult job (i.e., "thank you, well done"), お疲れ様でした is
always better.

You can usually safely use お疲れ様です to someone who is much higher than you
(although there may be a better phrase, like よろしくお願いします/ありがとうございました if it's a
visit for 視察).

