Breakdown of meeru ni siryou wo tenpusite kurete arigatou.
をwo
direct object particle
〜て〜te
connective form
にni
target particle
メールmeeru
email
ありがとうarigatou
thank you
〜て くれる〜te kureru
to do a favor; to do something for someone
添付するtenpusuru
to attach
資料siryou
materials
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Questions & Answers about meeru ni siryou wo tenpusite kurete arigatou.
Why is に used after メール and not で?
- に marks the target/location where something is attached. Think “attach X to Y” = Y に X を 添付する.
- で marks the means/method (“by/with”). Use it with verbs like 送る (to send): メールで資料を送る = “send the documents by email.”
- So:
- メールに資料を添付する = attach the documents to the email.
- メールで資料を送る = send the documents via email.
- You may hear メールで資料を添付する, but the precise and best form for “attach to an email” is メールに…を添付する.
- Don’t use へ here; へ marks direction, not a target for attachment.
What does てくれて do here?
- V‑てくれる means “someone does V for me/us (as a favor).”
- 添付してくれて says “(you) attached (it) for me,” highlighting the benefactive nuance.
- The pattern V‑てくれてありがとう = “Thank you for V‑ing (for me).”
Who is the subject in this sentence?
- Japanese often omits pronouns. Here, the doer of 添付する is understood as “you,” and the receiver of the favor is “me/us.”
- The verb くれる itself encodes that the action is done by “someone else (you)” for the speaker’s benefit.
Can I say 送ってくれてありがとう instead? What’s the nuance difference?
- Yes. 送ってくれてありがとう = “Thanks for sending (it).” It focuses on the act of sending.
- 添付してくれてありがとう focuses on attaching the file to an email.
- Natural alternatives:
- メールで資料を送ってくれてありがとう (thanks for sending the documents by email)
- メールに資料を添付してくれてありがとう (thanks for attaching the documents to the email)
- Use the one that matches what you’re thanking for (sending vs attaching).
How can I make this more polite or business‑appropriate?
- Add politeness and/or honorifics:
- メールに資料を添付してくださって、ありがとうございます。
- メールに資料をご添付いただき、ありがとうございます。
- 資料をご送付いただき、ありがとうございます。 (very common set phrase)
- Short set‑phrase style: 資料のご送付、ありがとうございます。 / ご添付ありがとうございます。
- If emphasizing the method: メールでお送りいただき、ありがとうございます。
- Notes:
- くださる is the honorific of くれる (honors the other party).
- いただく is the humble of もらう (humbles yourself).
ありがとう, ありがとうございます, ありがとうございました — which should I use?
- ありがとう: casual.
- ありがとうございます: polite (present). Safe for most business emails, even after receiving the item.
- ありがとうございました: polite past. Often used when the favor is complete; can feel more “wrapped up” or formal. In ongoing threads, many prefer ありがとうございます.
- All three can be correct depending on formality and timing.
Is 添付してありがとう okay, or do I need くれて?
- With a verb in て‑form, you normally need the benefactive: V‑てくれてありがとう. So 添付してありがとう sounds off.
- Alternatives:
- Verb pattern: 添付してくれてありがとう (casual), 添付してくださってありがとうございます (polite).
- Noun pattern: 添付ありがとう (casual), ご添付ありがとうございます (polite set phrase).
What exactly does 資料 mean? Should I use 書類 instead?
- 資料: “materials” for reference/information (slides, PDFs, briefs, datasets). Common in academic/business contexts.
- 書類: “documents/paperwork/forms,” often official or administrative.
- Pick based on the content:
- If it’s a deck, whitepaper, reference file: 資料.
- If it’s forms/contracts/applications: 書類.
- Other options: ファイル (file), データ (data), 画像 (images), etc.
Can I change the word order to 資料をメールに…?
- Yes. Japanese allows scrambling before the verb:
- 資料をメールに添付してくれてありがとう is fine.
- The common collocation is メールに資料を添付する, so many place the に‑phrase before the を‑phrase, but both orders are grammatical.
How do I read the kanji in this sentence?
- メール: meeru
- 資料: shiryō
- 添付: tenpu
- して: shite
- くれて: kurete
- ありがとう: arigatō
Are spaces normal in Japanese writing?
- No. Spaces were added for learners. A natural write‑up is:
- メールに資料を添付してくれてありがとう。
Why is くれて in the て‑form and not past くれた?
- The fixed thanking pattern is V‑てくれてありがとう. The て‑form links the action to your gratitude.
- × 添付してくれたありがとう is unnatural.
- You can insert a comma: 添付してくれて、ありがとう, but くれて still stays in て‑form.
- Polite version: …してくれてありがとうございます. Note the correct phrase is ありがとうございます (not “ありがとうございます”).
Can I use へ or で instead of に here?
- へ: marks direction; not used for “attach to.” Don’t use it here.
- で: marks method/means, so use it with 送る (“send by email”), not 添付する (“attach to”).
- So keep メールに…を添付する. If you want “by email,” switch the verb: メールで送る.
Could I say てもらって instead of てくれて?
- Yes, but nuance shifts slightly:
- …してくれてありがとう thanks the doer directly for doing it for you.
- …してもらってありがとう emphasizes that you received the favor (more “thanks for letting me have that done”). It’s casual and can sound a bit more self‑focused.
- Formal variant: …していただいてありがとうございます is common and polite.
- In most cases of thanking the other person, …してくれてありがとう/ありがとうございます is the default.