{"id":11574,"date":"2023-07-22T05:14:27","date_gmt":"2023-07-22T09:14:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/?p=11574"},"modified":"2025-05-26T12:05:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T16:05:24","slug":"thank-you-in-different-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/thank-you-in-different-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say “Thank You” in 35 Languages"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saying thank you<\/em> to show sincere gratitude is an important part of etiquette in almost all cultures. However, manners and etiquette differ from one culture to another: You\u2019ll need to learn things like how to<\/span> alter your table manners<\/span> in China or Japan and when not<\/strong> to say thank you<\/em> in India.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, we\u2019ve listed the words for thank you<\/em> in 35 different languages, plus some nuanced information about the phrase.<\/span><\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re embarking on an international adventure\u2014or if you just want to be prepared to show gratitude to anyone you meet in life\u2014it\u2019s good to learn how to say thank you in different languages:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Language<\/th>How to Say \u201cThank You\u201d<\/th>Pronunciation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Afrikaans<\/td>Dankie<\/em><\/td>dahn-kee<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Arabic<\/td> \u0634\u0643\u0631\u0627 <\/a>\n (shukraan)<\/em><\/td>shoo-krin<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bengali<\/td>\u09a7\u09a8\u09cd\u09af\u09ac\u09be\u09a6 (dhonnobad)<\/em><\/td>dhon-noh-bahd<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cantonese<\/td> \u5514\u8a72 <\/a>\n (m\u0300h g\u014di)<\/em><\/td>mm-guy<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Czech<\/td>D\u011bkuji<\/em><\/td>djek-kwee<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dutch<\/td> Dank je<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>dahn-kyeh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Finnish<\/td> Kiitos<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>kee-tohs<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
French<\/td> Merci<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>mehr-see<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
German<\/td> Danke<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>dan-kuh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Greek<\/td>\u03b5\u03c5\u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ce (efcharist\u00f3)<\/em><\/td>eff-hhar-riss-toh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hawaiian<\/td>Mahalo<\/em><\/td>mah-hah-loh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hebrew<\/td>\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 (toda)<\/em><\/td>toh-dah<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hindi<\/td> \u0927\u0928\u094d\u092f\u0935\u093e\u0926 <\/a>\n (dhanyavaad)<\/em><\/td>tahn-ya-vahd<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Icelandic<\/td> Takk<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>tack<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Indonesian<\/td>Terima kasih<\/em><\/td>teh-ree-mah kah-see<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Italian<\/td> Grazie<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>graht-zee<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Japanese<\/td> \u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046 <\/a>\n \u00a0(arigatou)<\/em><\/td>ah-ree-gah-toh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Khmer<\/td>\u17a3\u179a\u1782\u17bb\u178e (au kun)<\/em><\/td>aw kunn<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Korean<\/td> \uace0\ub9c8\uc6cc <\/a>\n (gomawo)<\/em><\/td>go-mah-wah<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mandarin<\/td> \u8c22\u8c22 <\/a>\n (xi\u00e8xie)<\/em><\/td>shee-shee-uh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nepali<\/td>\u0927\u0928\u094d\u092f\u0935\u093e\u0926 (dhanyab\u0101d)<\/em><\/td>tahn-ya-vahd<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Persian<\/td>\u0633\u067e\u0627\u0633\u06af\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0645 (sep\u0101s-goz\u0101ram)<\/em><\/td>sey-pahs goh-zah-ram<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Polish<\/td> Dzi\u0119kuj\u0119 ci<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>djen-ku-yen chee<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Portuguese<\/td> Obrigado<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>oh-bree-gah-doh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Romanian<\/td> Mul\u0163umesc<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>mull-tu-mesk<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Russian<\/td> C\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e<\/em> <\/a>\n (spasibo)<\/em><\/td>spah-see-buh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Spanish<\/td> Gracias<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>grah-see-ahs<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Swahili<\/td>Asante<\/em><\/td>ah-sahn-tey<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Swedish<\/td> Tack<\/em> <\/a>\n <\/td>tahk<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tagalog<\/td> Salamat<\/em><\/td>sah-lah-mah(t)<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thai<\/td>\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13 (kh\u00e0awp-khun)<\/em><\/td>khob-khoon<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Turkish<\/td>Te\u015fekk\u00fcr ederim<\/em><\/td>teh-shek-kurr eh-dehr-rim<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ukrainian<\/td>\u0414\u044f\u043a\u0443\u044e (dyakuyu)<\/em><\/td>djak-ku-yuh<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Urdu<\/td>\u0634\u06a9\u0631\u06cc\u06c1 (shukriya)<\/em><\/td>shoo-kree-yah<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vietnamese<\/td> C\u1ea3m \u01a1n<\/em><\/td>kam un<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Here\u2019<\/span>s a closer look at how you can express your gratitude in each of the 35 languages:<\/p>\n

1. Afrikaans: Dankie<\/i><\/h2>\n

Dankie<\/em><\/strong> works for most situations, but to say thank you very much<\/em>, use the longer expression Baie dankie<\/strong>,<\/em> where baie<\/em><\/strong> means a lot<\/em>.<\/p>\n

2. Arabic: \u0634\u0643\u0631\u0627 (shukraan)<\/em><\/h2>\n

While this is the more general thank you<\/em> in standard Arabic, you can get a little more specific and say \u0634\u0643\u0631\u064b\u0627 \u0644\u0643<\/strong> (shukraan lak)<\/em> when talking to a male or\u00a0\u0634\u0643\u0631\u064b\u0627 \u0644\u0643\u064a<\/strong> (shukraan laki)<\/em> when talking to a female. It\u2019<\/span>s not a necessity to add those words, but it\u2019<\/span>s a nice touch.<\/p>\n

3. Bengali: \u09a7\u09a8\u09cd\u09af\u09ac\u09be\u09a6 (dhonnobad)<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

A longer version of this would be \u0986\u09aa\u09a8\u09be\u0995\u09c7 \u09a7\u09a8\u09cd\u09af\u09ac\u09be\u09a6<\/strong> (apnake dhonnobad)<\/em> if you\u2019<\/span>re in a very formal situation or thanking someone older than you. For friends and loved ones that you\u2019re close to, you would say \u09a4\u09cb\u0995\u09c7 \u09a7\u09a8\u09cd\u09af\u09ac\u09be\u09a6<\/strong> (toke dhonnobad)<\/em> instead.<\/p>\n

4. Cantonese: \u5514\u8a72 (m\u0300h g\u014di)<\/em><\/h2>\n

You generally use this when thanking someone for an act or service, while \u591a\u8b1d<\/strong> (d\u00f2jeh)<\/em> is used to thank someone for a gift or compliment.<\/p>\n

5. Czech: D\u011bkuji<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

Another variation of this that you might hear is d\u011bkuju<\/em><\/strong>, which basically has the same meaning. For more casual speech, you can even shorten both of these to d\u00edky<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

6. Dutch: Dank je<\/em><\/h2>\n

If speaking formally, it\u2019<\/span>s better to use dank u wel<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

7. Finnish: Kiitos<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is the most common way of thanking someone, but you can use kiitos paljon<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>in cases where you\u2019<\/span>re extremely grateful to someone.<\/p>\n

8. French: Merci<\/em><\/h2>\n

Short and sweet is the basic French word for thanks<\/a>,\u00a0merci<\/strong>. <\/em>You may also hear people thank one another with merci mille fois<\/strong><\/em>, which means a thousand thanks<\/em>.<\/p>\n

9. German: Danke<\/em><\/h2>\n

If someone offers you something, it\u2019<\/span>s better to use bitte<\/strong> <\/em>to say thank you<\/em>\u00a0in German<\/a>. Danke<\/strong>, <\/em>in that context, may give off the impression that you\u2019<\/span>re declining the offer.<\/p>\n

10. Greek: \u03b5\u03c5\u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ce (efcharist\u00f3)<\/em><\/h2>\n

It\u2019<\/span>s also acceptable to pat your chest with one hand as a small gesture conveying your thanks.<\/p>\n

11. Hawaiian: Mahalo<\/em><\/h2>\n

You may choose to say mahalo nui loa<\/strong><\/em>, which means thank you very much<\/em>. This word has a rich and interesting history worth reading about!<\/a><\/p>\n

12. Hebrew: \u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 (toda<\/em>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In Hebrew, you can thank anyone with \u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 <\/strong>(toda)<\/em>, whether a close friend or your manager at work. If you want to show that you\u2019re very grateful, there\u2019<\/span>s also \u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4<\/strong> (toda raba)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

13. Hindi: \u0927\u0928\u094d\u092f\u0935\u093e\u0926 (dhanyavaad)<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is quite a formal way of thanking someone. You can use\u00a0\u0936\u0941\u0915\u094d\u0930\u093f\u092f\u093e<\/strong> (shukriya)<\/em>, which is informal. Although neither of these are actually used very liberally in Indian culture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

14. Icelandic: Takk<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is a common way of saying thank you<\/em>, but you may also use \u00deakka \u00fe\u00e9r fyrir<\/strong><\/em>, which means thank you very much<\/em>.<\/p>\n

15. Indonesian: Terima kasih<\/em><\/h2>\n

Terima<\/em><\/strong> means to accept, while kasih<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0means love\u2014so this Indonesian phrase for thank you<\/em> literally means to accept the love<\/em>. You can use this in formal situations, but with someone that you already know well, you can shorten this to makasih<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

16. Italian: Grazie<\/em><\/h2>\n

You can emphasize your gratitude<\/a> by saying grazie mille<\/strong><\/em>, but be warned that this can sometimes be perceived as sarcasm!<\/p>\n

17. Japanese: \u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u00a0<\/strong>(arigatou)<\/em><\/h2>\n

Use this thank you<\/a><\/em> with family and friends, but not with someone of a higher social status, like your teacher or your boss. For them, you may use the slightly more polite\u00a0\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong> (arigatou gozaimasu).<\/em><\/p>\n

18. Khmer: \u17a3\u179a\u1782\u17bb\u178e (au kun)<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is often paired with a sampeah<\/em><\/a>, which is a gesture where you put your hands together and bow your head slightly.<\/p>\n

19. Korean: \uace0\ub9c8\uc6cc (gomawo)<\/em><\/h2>\n

Use this expression for thank you<\/em><\/a> informally. To show respect to strangers or those of a higher status, add \uc694<\/strong> (yo)<\/em> to the end. With someone of a higher social status, you\u2019<\/span>ll be safer using \uac10\uc0ac\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4<\/strong> (gamsahabnida),<\/em> which is much more respectful.<\/p>\n

20. Mandarin: \u8c22\u8c22 (xi\u00e8xie)<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is the main way to say thank you<\/em> in Mandarin<\/a>, but you can also use \u591a\u8c22<\/strong> (du\u014dxi\u00e8)<\/em>, which is the equivalent of thanks a lot<\/em>, to amplify the gratitude.<\/p>\n

21. Nepali: \u0927\u0928\u094d\u092f\u0935\u093e\u0926<\/b><\/span> (dhanyab\u0101d)<\/b><\/em><\/h2>\n

You can even add \u0927\u0947\u0930\u0948<\/strong> (dh\u0113rai<\/em>) or a lot<\/em> for a stronger expression of gratitude: \u0927\u0947\u0930\u0948 \u0927\u0947\u0930\u0948 \u0927\u0928\u094d\u092f\u0935\u093e\u0926<\/strong> (dh\u0113rai dh\u0113rai dhanyab\u0101d)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

22. Persian: \u0633\u067e\u0627\u0633\u06af\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0645 (s<\/em>ep\u0101s-goz\u0101ram)<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

The literal translation for this is I am grateful<\/em>. In everyday situations, you can go with \u0645\u0631\u0633\u06cc<\/strong> (mersi)<\/em>, which comes from French but is commonly used in Persian.<\/p>\n

23. Polish: Dzi\u0119kuj\u0119<\/em><\/h2>\n

You can also use a simple\u00a0dzi\u0119ki<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(thanks) or\u00a0dzi\u0119kuj\u0119 bardzo<\/em><\/strong>, which means thank you very much<\/em>.<\/p>\n

24. Portuguese: Obrigado<\/em><\/h2>\n

Obrigado<\/strong><\/em><\/a> is used when spoken by a man, while women use obrigada<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0Choose the proper word ending according to your own gender!<\/p>\n

25. Romanian: Mul\u0163umesc<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is common, but you can also use \u00ee\u021bi mul\u021bumesc<\/em><\/strong>, which is informal.<\/p>\n

26. Russian: C\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e (spasibo)<\/em><\/h2>\n

You may also use\u00a0\u0411\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u043e\u0435 \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e<\/strong> (bolshoe spasibo)<\/em> or, when trying to show immense gratitude<\/a>,\u00a0\u043e\u0433\u0440\u043e\u043c\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e\u00a0<\/strong>(ogromnoye spasibo).<\/em><\/p>\n

27. Spanish: Gracias<\/em><\/h2>\n

It seems that most of the world\u2019<\/span>s inhabitants are already familiar with the Spanish word for thank you<\/em>,<\/a> gracias.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>There\u2019<\/span>s also muchas gracias\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>or\u00a0much\u00edsimas gracias<\/em><\/strong> for even more emphasis.<\/p>\n

28. Swahili: Asante<\/em><\/h2>\n

An alternative is n<\/em><\/strong>ashukuru<\/strong><\/em>, which literally means I appreciate you<\/em>. Another word for thank you<\/em> is shukrani<\/strong><\/em>, although it\u2019s not used as often.<\/p>\n

29. Swedish: Tack<\/em><\/h2>\n

It\u2019<\/span>s quite common to say tackar\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(thanks) or\u00a0tack s\u00e5 mycket<\/em> <\/strong>(thanks so much), the latter of which is just slightly more formal but still used in everyday situations.<\/p>\n

30. Tagalog: Salamat<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

For thank you very much<\/em> instead, the expression is m<\/strong><\/em>araming salamat<\/em><\/strong>. If you\u2019re talking to an older person and you want to be respectful, many people also add po<\/em><\/strong>, so you would say salamat po<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

31. Thai: \u0e02\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13 (kh\u00e0awp-khun)<\/em><\/h2>\n

This phrase works on its own, but it sounds more natural to add a particle at the end for your gender. For example, if you\u2019re female, you would say \u0e02\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13\u0e04\u0e48\u0e30<\/strong> (kh\u00e0awp-khun ka)<\/em>, but if you\u2019re male, you\u2019d say \u0e02\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13\u0e04\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a<\/strong> (kh\u00e0awp-khun krab)<\/em> instead.<\/p>\n

32. Turkish: Te\u015fekk\u00fcr ederim<\/em><\/h2>\n

This is an expressive way of saying thank you<\/em> in Turkish, when another person has done something really special for you. For a more casual expression, there\u2019s also te\u015fekk\u00fcrler<\/em><\/strong>, which is similar to thanks<\/em> in English.<\/p>\n

33. Ukrainian: \u0414\u044f\u043a\u0443\u044e (dyakuyu<\/em>)<\/h2>\n

In the more Eastern parts of Ukraine, \u0421\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u0456<\/strong>\u00a0(spasybi)<\/em> is also used, although it\u2019s still less common.<\/p>\n

34. Urdu: \u0634\u06a9\u0631\u06cc\u06c1 (shukriya)<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In Pakistan, even people who speak other regional languages will be able to understand this! To make it even more appreciative, you can say thanks a lot<\/em> with \u0628\u06c1\u062a \u0634\u06a9\u0631\u06cc\u06c1<\/strong> (bohat shukriya<\/em>).\u00a0<\/p>\n

35. Vietnamese: C\u1ea3m \u01a1n<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

Remember to use tones with this! C\u1ea3m<\/em> is pronounced with a broken falling tone, while \u01a1n<\/em> uses the flat tone. You\u2019ll also typically have to add a pronoun after such as b\u00e0<\/em> for an older woman or \u00f4ng<\/em> for an older man to make it sound more polite.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re practicing your manners in a new country, pay close attention to what the locals do and try to figure out what the courteous customs are. If that doesn\u2019t work for you, befriend a local and ask them about customs directly.<\/span><\/p>\n

You might also find, as a language learner, that<\/span> researching a culture will aid you in your language learning experience<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

One effective (and entertaining) way to understand foreign cultures is by engaging with media from that culture. Not only are you learning the language, but you\u2019re learning about customs, gestures and more. One way you can do this is by using a language program such as FluentU<\/a>.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

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