Guide5 min read
Thank You in 42 Languages, With Pronunciation
How to say thank you in 42 languages, from Spanish, French and German to Japanese, Hindi and Swahili, with "thank you very much", pronunciation and formality.
Edited by Michael KahnUpdated
To say thank you in another language, use the everyday form first: gracias in Spanish, merci in French, danke in German, arigatou gozaimasu in Japanese, xièxie in Mandarin, shukran in Arabic. Several languages change the phrase with formality or with who is speaking, so check the notes below before you write it in a card. Pronunciations are approximate, with the stressed syllable in capitals.
Western Europe
| Language | Thank you | Thank you very much | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Gracias | Muchas gracias | GRAH-see-ahs (Spain: GRAH-thee-ahs) |
| French | Merci | Merci beaucoup | mehr-SEE boh-KOO |
| Italian | Grazie | Grazie mille | GRAHT-see-eh MEEL-leh |
| Portuguese | Obrigado / Obrigada | Muito obrigado / obrigada | oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| German | Danke | Vielen Dank, Danke schön | DAHN-kuh, FEE-len dahnk |
| Dutch | Dank je, Bedankt | Dank je wel / Dank u wel | dahnk yuh vel |
| Irish | Go raibh maith agat | Go raibh míle maith agat | guh rev mah AH-gut |
| Welsh | Diolch | Diolch yn fawr | DEE-olkh un VOWR |
Portuguese agrees with the speaker: men say obrigado, women say obrigada. Dutch uses dank je with friends and dank u wel in formal settings.
Northern Europe
| Language | Thank you | Thank you very much | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish | Tack | Tack så mycket | tahk soh MEW-keh |
| Norwegian | Takk | Tusen takk | TOO-sen tahk |
| Danish | Tak | Mange tak | MAHNG-eh tahk |
| Finnish | Kiitos | Kiitos paljon | KEE-tos PAHL-yon |
| Icelandic | Takk | Takk fyrir | tahk FIH-rir |
Tusen takk in Norwegian means “a thousand thanks,” and it is the everyday way to say thank you very much.
Central and Eastern Europe
| Language | Thank you | Thank you very much | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polish | Dziękuję | Dziękuję bardzo | jen-KOO-yeh BAR-dzoh |
| Czech | Děkuji | Děkuji moc | DYEH-koo-yih mots |
| Hungarian | Köszönöm | Köszönöm szépen | KUH-suh-nuhm SAY-pen |
| Romanian | Mulțumesc | Mulțumesc frumos | mool-tsoo-MESK froo-MOHS |
| Russian | Спасибо (spasibo) | Большое спасибо | spah-SEE-bah, bahl-SHOY-eh spah-SEE-bah |
| Ukrainian | Дякую (dyakuyu) | Щиро дякую | DYAH-koo-yoo |
| Greek | Ευχαριστώ (efcharistó) | Ευχαριστώ πολύ | ef-khah-ree-STOH poh-LEE |
Middle East and Africa
| Language | Thank you | Thank you very much | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | شكرا (shukran) | شكرا جزيلا (shukran jazeelan) | SHOOK-ran jah-ZEE-lan |
| Hebrew | תודה (todah) | תודה רבה (todah rabah) | toh-DAH rah-BAH |
| Turkish | Teşekkür ederim | Çok teşekkür ederim | teh-shek-KEWR eh-deh-reem |
| Persian (Farsi) | ممنون (mamnoon), مرسی (merci) | خیلی ممنون (kheili mamnoon) | mam-NOON |
| Swahili | Asante | Asante sana | ah-SAHN-teh SAH-nah |
| Zulu | Ngiyabonga | Ngiyabonga kakhulu | ngee-yah-BOH-ngah kah-KOO-loo |
In Turkish, sağ ol is a casual thanks among friends. In Persian, merci is borrowed from French and is common in everyday speech.
South Asia
| Language | Thank you | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hindi | धन्यवाद (dhanyavaad), शुक्रिया (shukriya) | dhun-yuh-VAAD, shoo-KREE-yah | Shukriya is the everyday word; dhanyavaad is more formal |
| Urdu | شکریہ (shukriya) | shoo-KREE-yah | Bahut shukriya for thank you very much |
| Bengali | ধন্যবাদ (dhonnobad) | dhon-no-BAAD | |
| Tamil | நன்றி (nandri) | NUN-dree | |
| Punjabi | ਧੰਨਵਾਦ (dhanvaad) | dhun-VAAD | Shukriya is also widely understood |
East and Southeast Asia
| Language | Thank you | Polite or very much | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Chinese | 谢谢 (xièxie) | 非常感谢 (fēicháng gǎnxiè) | shyeh-shyeh |
| Cantonese | 唔該 (m̀h’gōi), 多謝 (dō jeh) | 多謝晒 (dō jeh saai) | mm-GOY, daw-JEH |
| Japanese | ありがとう (arigatou) | ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) | ah-ree-GAH-toh go-zai-MAHS |
| Korean | 고마워 (gomawo) | 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) | GO-ma-wo, GAM-sa-ham-ni-da |
| Vietnamese | Cảm ơn | Cảm ơn nhiều | gahm uhn nyew |
| Thai | ขอบคุณ (khop khun) | ขอบคุณมาก (khop khun mak) | kop-KOON |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | Salamat | Maraming salamat | sah-LAH-maht |
| Indonesian / Malay | Terima kasih | Terima kasih banyak | teh-REE-mah KAH-see |
Cantonese uses m̀h’gōi for a service or a small favor and dō jeh for a gift. Japanese arigatou alone is casual; add gozaimasu for anyone you would address politely. Korean gomawo is for close friends and people younger than you. Thai speakers end with a polite particle: men add khrap, women add kha (khop khun khrap, khop khun kha). In Tagalog, adding po (salamat po) shows respect to elders and strangers.
The Pacific and sign language
| Language | Thank you | Thank you very much | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian | Mahalo | Mahalo nui loa | mah-HAH-loh NOO-ee LOH-ah |
| Māori | Kia ora | Ngā mihi nui | kee-ah OR-ah, ngah MEE-hee NOO-ee |
| American Sign Language | Flat hand from chin, forward and down | Same sign, repeated or with emphasis |
Māori kia ora is a greeting that also means thanks; ngā mihi nui is a fuller “many thanks,” often used to close a message.
Writing thank you in another language in a card
A single line in the other person’s language, followed by the rest of the note in a language you share, is a warm touch for a host family abroad, an exchange student, an in-law or an international colleague. Copy the spelling exactly, including accents and characters, and if you are not sure of anything beyond the basic phrase, ask a native speaker before you write it in ink.
Match the formality to the relationship. The polite forms (arigatou gozaimasu, gamsahamnida, dank u wel, salamat po) are the safe choice for anyone older than you, a teacher, a boss, or someone you do not know well. For more English phrasing to go with it, see other ways to say thank you, and for the note itself, how to write a thank-you note.
Common questions
How do you say thank you in Spanish?
Gracias, pronounced GRAH-see-ahs in Latin America and GRAH-thee-ahs in much of Spain. Thank you very much is muchas gracias.
How do you say thank you in Japanese?
Arigatou (ah-ree-GAH-toh) is casual. With friends and family that is fine, but with strangers, at work or in a card, use arigatou gozaimasu, the polite form.
Why are there two words for thank you in Portuguese?
The word follows the speaker's gender. A man says obrigado and a woman says obrigada, whoever they are thanking.
What is the most polite way to say thank you in Korean?
Gamsahamnida is the standard polite form for strangers, elders and work. Gomawo is casual and used with close friends and people younger than you.
How do you say thank you in sign language?
In American Sign Language, touch the fingertips of a flat hand to your chin, then move the hand forward and down toward the person you are thanking. Other countries use different sign languages with their own signs.
Should I write a thank-you card in someone's own language?
A line in their language is a warm touch, especially for a host family, an in-law or a colleague abroad. Keep it to a phrase you are sure of, write the rest in a language you share, and ask a native speaker to check anything longer.