How to Say Thank You in 20 Languages (With Pronunciation)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A short “thank you” is useful almost anywhere, but the safest form is not always a word-for-word translation. This guide gives a widely understood phrase in 20 languages, its native spelling, a rough pronunciation, and the situations where the wording changes.
How to Say Thank You in 20 Languages
Capital letters mark the stressed part of the rough pronunciation. These guides are designed to help an English speaker get started; they do not reproduce every sound, tone, or regional accent.
| Language | Thank you | Romanization or rough pronunciation | Useful note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Gracias | GRAH-syahs | Standard in Spain and Latin America; in much of Spain, the c sounds like English th |
| French | Merci | mehr-SEE | The standard everyday expression |
| German | Danke | DAHN-kuh | Suitable in most everyday situations |
| Italian | Grazie | GRAHT-tsyeh | The ending is closer to tsyeh than zee |
| Portuguese | Obrigado / Obrigada | oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah | Under the standard convention, the form agrees with the speaker, not the listener |
| Dutch | Dank u wel | dahnk uu vel | A polite option for strangers; dank je wel is less formal |
| Polish | Dziękuję | jen-KOO-yeh | A standard polite form; dzięki is casual |
| Russian | Спасибо | spuh-SEE-buh | Romanized as spasibo |
| Ukrainian | Дякую | DYAH-koo-yoo | Romanized as diakuiu |
| Greek | Ευχαριστώ | ef-khah-ree-STOH | Romanized as efcharistó |
| Turkish | Teşekkür ederim | teh-shehk-KOOR eh-deh-REEM | A safe polite choice; teşekkürler is shorter |
| Arabic | شكرًا | SHOOK-ran | Shukran is widely understood; everyday dialects also have regional expressions |
| Hindi | धन्यवाद | dhun-yuh-VAAD | Dhanyavaad is polite; शुक्रिया (shukriya) is also common |
| Mandarin Chinese | 谢谢 | xièxie — roughly shyeh-shyeh | The first syllable has a falling tone; the second is usually light and unstressed |
| Japanese | ありがとうございます | ah-ree-gah-TOH goh-zah-ee-mahs | A polite choice; ありがとう (arigatō) is more casual |
| Korean | 감사합니다 | gahm-sah-hahm-nee-dah | A formal-polite form suitable for strangers and service situations |
| Thai | ขอบคุณครับ / ขอบคุณค่ะ | khawp khoon khrap / kha | Male speakers commonly add ครับ; female speakers commonly add ค่ะ |
| Vietnamese | Cảm ơn | roughly gahm uhn | Address terms may be added according to the listener’s age and relationship |
| Indonesian | Terima kasih | tuh-REE-mah KAH-see | The standard expression; makasih is very informal |
| Swahili | Asante | ah-SAHN-teh | Use asanteni when thanking more than one person |
When “Thank You” Changes
The short phrase is only part of being polite. As the examples in languages that use politeness without a direct word for “please” show, grammar, social relationships, and tone can matter as much as vocabulary.
Formality Matters in Japanese, Korean, and Dutch
The Japanese ありがとう (arigatō) works with friends and people you know well. ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) is the safer version for a customer, teacher, older person, or stranger. The longer phrase adds a formal element rather than simply meaning “thank you very much.”
Korean also marks the relationship between speakers. 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) and 고맙습니다 (gomapseumnida) are polite choices. 고마워 (gomawo) is casual and is best kept for close friends or someone younger when the relationship allows it.
In Dutch, dank u wel uses the formal pronoun u, while dank je wel uses informal je. If you are speaking to a stranger and are unsure, dank u wel is the cautious choice.
Portuguese Follows the Speaker
Traditional standard usage treats obrigado and obrigada like an adjective meaning “obliged.” A male speaker says obrigado and a female speaker says obrigada, regardless of whom they are thanking. Real usage varies, and some female speakers also use obrigado, but the gender agreement remains the standard rule taught to learners.
Pronunciation also differs between Brazil and Portugal, so the English-style guide in the table is only an approximation.
Thai Adds a Polite Particle
The base expression is ขอบคุณ (khop khun). In polite everyday speech, male speakers commonly add ครับ (khráp) and female speakers commonly add ค่ะ (khâ). These particles reflect the speaker and the social setting, not the gender of the person being thanked. Their tones matter, so hearing a native recording is more useful than relying on English spelling alone.
Vietnamese Often Names the Relationship
Cảm ơn is understandable by itself, but Vietnamese frequently adds an address term, as in cảm ơn anh, cảm ơn chị, cảm ơn ông, or cảm ơn bà. The right word depends on relative age, familiarity, and family-like social roles, so a bare cảm ơn is simpler when you are still learning.
Which Version Should You Use?
| Situation | Best approach |
|---|---|
| Thanking a stranger, teacher, or employee | Use the polite form listed in the main table |
| Thanking a close friend | Use a casual form only when you know it fits the relationship |
| Writing a card, email, or work message | Translate the full sentence so the reason and tone remain clear |
| Speaking a tonal language | Listen to a native recording; an English pronunciation hint cannot show tone accurately |
For a longer thank-you note, OpenL can translate the complete message instead of replacing one phrase at a time. Check names, formality, and your relationship with the reader before sending it. The same habits help when you need to chat across languages in real time.
FAQ
Are the pronunciation guides exact?
No. They are rough guides for English speakers. Languages such as Mandarin, Thai, and Vietnamese use tones, while Polish, Arabic, and German contain sounds that do not map neatly to English spelling. Native audio is the better reference.
Is shukran understood throughout the Arabic-speaking world?
Shukran is part of Modern Standard Arabic and is widely understood. Spoken Arabic varies by country and region, so local alternatives and pronunciations may differ.
How do I say “thank you very much” in another language?
The stronger phrase is language-specific. Common examples include muchas gracias in Spanish, merci beaucoup in French, vielen Dank in German, grazie mille in Italian, muito obrigado / obrigada in Portuguese, and asante sana in Swahili.
Sources
- Thank you in many languages — Comparative phrase list covering the 20 languages, including formal, informal, singular, and plural variants.
- Cambridge Dictionary: thank you in Portuguese — Dictionary translations including obrigado and obrigada.
- Wiktionary: obrigado — Portuguese pronunciation, etymology, gender forms, and notes on variation in actual usage.
- Wiktionary: ありがとうございます — Japanese pronunciation and the progression from casual to polite expressions of thanks.
- Wiktionary: 감사합니다 — Korean pronunciation, formal-polite classification, and less formal alternatives.
- Wiktionary: ขอบคุณ — Thai pronunciation, romanization, meaning, and relative formality.
- Useful Thai phrases — Thai polite particles used by male and female speakers.
- Useful Vietnamese phrases — Vietnamese forms of thanks with common age- and relationship-based address terms.
