In our vast and interconnected world, gratitude knows no borders. Yet, while a simple “thank you” can bridge many gaps, learning how to express appreciation in multiple tongues adds a nice touch to a person’s global savoir-faire.

Let’s dive into a linguistic journey where we explore how to convey thanks in 45 different languages. No matter where your next adventure or business endeavor takes you, you’ll know just how to delight locals after each interaction.

After all, gratitude is universal, but the way we express it can have a unique charm.

45 Ways to Say “Thank You” in Different Languages

Here’s how you can express gratitude all around the globe with the correct pronunciation, from a simple “thanks” to a heartfelt “thank you very much.”

Afrikaans: Dankie (dankey)

Dankie is the standard to express gratitude in Afrikaans, but you can also opt for the English equivalent of “thanks a lot” with Baie dankie. You can be even more effusive with baie dankie vir alles, the equivalent of “thank you for everything.”

Arabic: Shukran (shoe-kran)

Shukran is understood in all Arabic-speaking countries and regions. You can choose to get gender specific with shukran lak for a man and shukran laki for a woman. 

In South Levantine Arabic, there’s also the option of adding ktir in informal settings or jazīlan in formal situations to say “thank you very much.”

Bengali: Dhonnobad (dhon-noh-bahd)

If you’re in a formal situation or speaking to someone you’re not very close to, you can add apnake before dhonnobad. For an approximation of “thank you very much” or “thanks a lot,” you’d say onek dhonnobad.

Chinese Mandarin: Xiè xie (she-eh she-eh)

Xiè xie is the standard in Chinese Mandarin, but just like with other languages, you can amp up the gratitude factor. Say duō xie for “thanks a lot” or gǎn xie for “many thanks.”

Croatian: Hvala (hvah-lah)

A hvala is more than enough to express your thanks, but in case you want to go the extra mile, puno hvala will let locals know you’re very, very thankful.

Czech: Děkuji (dyekooyi)

The ways you can use to say “thank you” in Czech are plentiful. Děkuji is the standard casual, but you can opt for a formal velmi vám děkuji, which is an approximation of “thank you very much.”

Danish: Tak (tahg)

It probably doesn’t get any easier than the one-syllable tak. But although the Danish language keeps it simple, there are other variations to explore, depending on the context.

Mange tak is for the always helpful “thanks a lot,” and when you’re looking to really emphasize how grateful you are, you can go with mange tak. If that’s still not enough, you can quite literally thank someone a thousand times — tusind tak — or a million — million tak. Take your pick!

Dutch: Dankjewel (dankyevel) 

Somewhat similar to the English equivalent, the standard Dutch “thank you” is easy to master. But you don’t have to stop there. Echt heel erg bedankt is how you express the standard “thank you very much,” while the more casual and laid-back superbedankt is exactly what it sounds like: “super thanks.” 

Estonian: Tänan (ta-nahn)

Tanan is the equivalent of “thank you,” and it will suffice in most contexts. You can also opt for the shorter version, aitäh (similar to “thanks”), or say tänan väga to convey “thank you very much.”

Esperanto: Danko (dangko)

Although it isn’t an official language anywhere, according to some estimates, as many as two million people worldwide speak Esperanto. So it’s still useful to learn at least the most common expressions in this very interesting language, including “thank you.” And it’s remarkably easy. Danko is enough for all your gratefulness-expression needs.

Finnish: Kiitos (key-toss)

If you want to go beyond the basic “thank you” that kiitos expresses, you can say ​​kiitos paljon to convey something similar to “thanks a lot.”

French: Merci (mehr-see)

The charming merci is universally known, but if you want to add emphasis, you can say merci beaucoup, which translates to “thank you very much.” And for those instances when you’re feeling particularly grateful, go for un gran merci or “a big thank you.”

German: Danke (dahn-keh)

Perhaps the most similar to English, the German danke suffices for nearly every occasion. Vielen danke is the equivalent to “many thanks,” but if you want extra emphasis, danke shon is the expression you’re looking for.

Greek: Efharisto (ef-ha-ree-stoh)

The standard “thank you” simply won’t cut it every time, so say efharisto poly for a meaningful “thank you very much” in Greek.

Hawaiian: Mahalo (ma-ha-lo)

This single word captures the essence of gratitude in Hawaiian. For deep appreciation, you might say mahalo nui loa.

Hebrew: Toda (toh-dah)

For an even stronger sentiment, toda raba means “thank you very much.”

Hungarian: Köszönöm (koh-suh-nuhm)

You can express deeper gratitude with nagyon köszönöm, the equivalent of the English expression “thank you very much.”

Hindi: Dhanyavaad (dhanya-vad)

Dhanyavaad is enough when you want to convey thanks. For added warmth, bahut dhanyavaad is the expression to use. If you’re looking for something more informal, you can also say shukriyaa.

Icelandic: Takk (tahk)

Yes, you’ve seen it before — “thanks” in Icelandic is nearly identical to Danish, with only a slight difference in pronunciation. For the complete “thank you,” takk fyrir is the preferred expression.

Indonesian: Terima kasih (teh-ree-ma kah-see)

In a wonderful turn of events, kasih also means “love” in Indonesian, so when you say terima kasih you’re essentially accepting the love. If you want to take it even further, you can say terima kasih banyak. To keep it informal, makasih will do the trick. 

Italian: Grazie (graht-zee-eh)

The standard grazie will get you all the pizza and cannoli you could wish for, but you can add a little flair to your thanks with a grazie mille (which literally means “thank you a thousand.”)

Japanese: Arigatou (a-ree-gah-tou)

The more formal and polite version of “thank you” in Japanese is actually arigatou gozaimasu. But if you’re around peers and friends, arigatou is enough. Doumo arigatou is the equivalent of “thank you very much.”

Korean: Gamsahamnida (gahm-sa-hahm-nee-dah)

In casual situations, especially among younger people, you might hear gomawo.

Latvian: Paldies (pal-dee-es)

For added emphasis, liels paldies means “big thanks.”

Maltese: Grazzi (grat-zee)

Due to historical relations, Maltese has a lot of similar words and expressions with the Italian language — including this one. However, to elaborate in Maltese, you’d say grazzi hafna.

Māori: Tēnā koe (tee-na-kue)

While tēnā koe is a general expression of gratitude, it also means “hello” in Māori. When speaking to two people, you’d say tēnā kōrua, and if it’s three or more people, the correct term would be tēnā koutou.

Norwegian: Takk (tahk)

Look familiar? While the word for “thanks” is the same in Icelandic and Norwegian, the expression for heightened gratitude differs. In this case, you’d say mange takk to convey “many thanks” or tusen takk to say “a thousand thanks.”

Polish: Dziękuję (djen-koo-ye)

To say “thank you very much,” the correct expression is bardzo dziękuję. There’s also a simplified version of the word, dzięki, which means “thanks.”

Portuguese: Obrigado/a (ob-ree-gah-doo)

If you’re a male, say obrigado, but if you’re a female, say obrigada. For an amplified version, muito obrigado/a is the equivalent of “many thanks” and “thank you very much.”

Romanian: Mulţumesc (mool-tzoo-mesk)

For a more informal setting, when talking to friends and family, you can shorten it to mersi.

Russian: Spasibo (spah-see-boh)

Fun fact: spasibo comes from the saying spasi bog, which means “god save you”, but it turned into a common expression to show gratitude in Russia. If you’re looking to add emphasis, bol’shoye spasibo translates to “many thanks.”

Samoan: Fa’afetai (fah-ah-feh-tai)

For a greater show of gratitude, go for the expression fa’afetai lava.

Spanish: Gracias (grah-see-as)

When you’re feeling extra grateful, muchas gracias translates to “many thanks.”

Swedish: Tack (tahk)

We’re not quite done with this familiar expression — such is the beauty of linguistics. To signal great appreciation in Swedish, simply say stort tack.

Slovak: Ďakujem (jah-koo-yem)

For a more profound thank you, velmi vám dakujem means “thank you very much” and dakujem mnohokrát translates to “thanks a lot.”

Slovenian: Hvala (hvah-lah)

Yes, it’s the exact same word as in Croatian. If you want to amplify your gratitude, in Slovenian it’s more common to hear hvala lepa.

Swahili: Asante (ah-sahn-teh)

For extra emphasis, asante sana is the equivalent of “thank you very much.” 

Thai: Khàwp khun (kop-koon)

While this expression works as a standalone, you might want to add a particle depending on your gender. A man would say khàawp-khun krab, while a woman would use khàawp-khun ka. You also have the option of saying khob khun mak for “thank you very much.”

Tagalog: Salamat (sah-lah-mat)

For a heartier version, maraming salamat translates to “thank you very much.” If you wish to imprint an added layer of respect into your expression, you can say salamat po.

Telugu: Dhanyavadamulu (dhanya-vada-lu)

This expression stands alone in most contexts.

Turkish: Teşekkür ederim (teh-shehk-oor ede-rim)

The words teşekkür ederim convey more feeling than a regular “thanks.” If the latter is your preferred expression, you can say teşekkürler or sağ ol for even more informal settings.

Welsh: Diolch (dee-olkh)

For added warmth, diolch yn fawr means “thank you very much.” Diolch yn fawr iawn conveys a similar sentiment, only in a much more formal way.

Urdu: Shukryia (shook-ree-ya)

If you’re looking to convey a more profound sentiment, the expression bahut shukryia means “thank you very much.” 

Ukrainian: Dyakuyu (dya-koo yoo)

Dyakuyu is short, sweet, and easy, but you can take a step further with velyke dyakuyu, which means “big thanks.” For an even more sincere expression, you can say serdechno d’akuju, the Ukrainian equivalent of “thank you from my heart.”

Vietnamese: Cảm ơn (kahm uhn)

In the northern regions, it might be cảm ơn ban to say “thank you to you,” while in the south, cảm ơn is commonly used on its own.

Don’t Stop With “Thank You”

From the melodic sounds of one language to the charming idiosyncrasies of another, saying “thank you” is more than just routine — it’s a universal gesture that connects us all.

But don’t stop at “thank you.” Dive deeper into the languages and cultures, and you’ll find a myriad of ways to show appreciation and build bridges of understanding.

Need help improving your knowledge of a specific language? elt provides corporate language and culture training to many of the world’s biggest companies. 

Get in touch today to get started.