Short Answer: “Thank you” is xièxiè (谢谢) in Mandarin, dhanyavaad (धन्यवाद) in Hindi, gracias in
Spanish, shukran (ًاركش) in Arabic, and merci in French. It is danke in German, grazie in Italian, arigatō
(ありがとう) in Japanese, asante in Swahili, and takk in Norwegian. Portuguese splits by speaker
rather than listener, so obrigado if you are male, obrigada if you are female, while Korean and Greek
each have separate formal and casual forms.
“Thank you” is one of the first phrases worth learning in the language of the country you are travelling
to, and knowing its literal meaning helps you use it in the right place. Below is a table detailing 25
translations of “thank you”, their direct meaning, and how you would use them. After the table, this
guide explains why romanisations vary between sources, and why several of these languages use
one word for a friend and another for a stranger or a superior. One caveat before you start: the
pronunciation column is an approximation written for English speakers rather than a phonetic
transcription, so treat it as a starting point and check it against a recording of a native speaker.
| Language | Native script | Romanisation |
How it sounds | Literal meaning |
When you would actually use it |
| Mandarin | 谢谢 | Xièxiè | shyeh-shyeh | To thank, to thank |
Casual use, although in close friendships, kindness is expected, so using it too much can be seen as rude |
| Hindi | धन्यवाद | Dhanyavaad | dhun-yuh-vahd | Expression of thanks, blessed speech, or words of gratitude |
Used in formal and neutral settings; be careful of regional changes |
| Spanish | N/A | Gracias | GRAH-syas | Graces, or thanks |
Can be used in both formal and casual settings |
| Arabic | اركش | Shukran | SHOOK-rahn | Thank you | Can be used in both formal and casual settings across all Arabic regions |
| French | N/A | Merci | mehr-see | Originally translates to mercy, but is commonly used as thank you in modern French |
Can be used in both polite and formal situations |
| Dutch | N/A | Bedankt | buh-DANKT | Thanked | Used in casual or semi- formal settings |
| Italian | N/A | Grazie | GRAH-tsee-eh | Thanks, oh graces |
Can be used in both polite and casual situations |
| Portuguese | N/A | Obrigado/Obrigada | oh-bree-GAH- doo |
Obliged, or indebted |
For both casual and formal settings: obrigado if the speaker is male, and obrigada if the speaker is female |
| German | N/A | Danke | DAHN-kuh | Thanks | Works for both casual and formal settings, although vielen Dank is more commonly used in business settings |
| Polish | N/A | Dziękuję | jen-KOO-yeh | I thank | Can be used in both casual and formal settings |
| Japanese | ありがとう | Arigatō | ah-ree-gah-toh | It is hard to exist |
Used in casual, informal settings; for a more formal option, use arigatō gozaimasu |
| Greek | Σας ευχαριστώ | Sas efcharistó | sahs ef-hah-ree- STOH |
I thank you | Used in formal settings, or when addressing a group of people; for a more casual term, try s' efcharistó |
| Czech | N/A | Děkuju | DYEH-koo-yoo | I thank | Used in everyday spoken language; for a more formal term, try děkuji |
| Korean | 감사합니다 | Gamsahabnida | gahm-sah- hahm-nee-dah |
I do gratitude |
Used in formal situations only; for close friends, try gomawo (고마워) instead |
| Swahili | N/A | Asante | uh-SAN-tee (or ah-SAHN-teh) |
Thank you | For everyday use across multiple regions |
| Afrikaans | N/A | Dankie | DANG-kee | Thank you | A casual everyday phrase used across multiple regions |
| Turkish | N/A | Teşekkürler | te-shek-KÜR-ler | Thanks | An everyday phrase that can be used in multiple settings; for a more formal phrase, try teşekkür ederim |
| Hebrew | הדותךל/הדותך | Toda lecha/Toda Lach |
toh-DAH lakh | Thanks to you |
Toda lecha is used when greeting a man, and Toda lach when greeting a woman |
| Norwegian | N/A | Takk | tahk | Thank you | Used in general conversation, or a polite way to say please; try tusen takk for a more formal thank you |
| Finnish | N/A | Kiitos | KEE-toss | Thank you | Works in both formal and informal settings |
| Albanian | N/A | Faleminderit | fa-leh-min-DEH- reet |
I give thanks for the honour |
Fits with both casual and formal situations |
| Estonian | N/A | Tänan teid | TÄ-nahn tayd | I thank you | Mostly used formally or when addressing a group; for a more casual term, try aitäh |
| Ukrainian | Дякую | Dyakuyu | DYAH-koo-yoo | I am thanking |
Used in everyday conversation; to show a bit more warmth, try duzhe dyakuyu |
| Russian | Спасибо | Spasibo | spa-SEE-buh | God save you |
Works in most casual and formal situations |
| Romanian | N/A | Mulțumesc | mool-TSOO- mesk |
I give thanks |
Standard and polite, can be used in most formal and casual situations |
| Swedish | N/A | Tack | tack | Thanks | Can be used in most situations |
Certain romanisations listed above are different from what some travel blogs may state. This is
because these phrases have more than one romanisation. Japanese ありがとう appears as arigatō, arigatou or arigato depending on how the long vowel is marked, and Mandarin 谢谢 is xièxiè in Pinyin but hsieh-hsieh in the older Wade-Giles system. Korean 감사합니다 is the clearest example of this and a letter-by-letter transliteration gives gamsahabnida, while revised romanisation reflects how the b is actually pronounced and gives gamsahamnida.
Reading a romanisation is one thing but recognising it when spoken by a native speaker is another, which is why Memrise pairs its phrases with video clips of native speakers rather than studio recordings. This helps you identify phrases as they would be spoken if you encountered a native speaker.
The last column of the table shows that some of these phrases should not be used in every context, which is unlike English. In some cultures, different phrases are used for your friends and your superiors. It is important to understand the differences and to use them accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Why is learning “thank you” so important?
“Thank you” is one of the best phrases to first learn in a foreign language because it instantly shows that you have a level of respect for the local culture. Using it correctly allows you to immediately build a social bond. This is especially true in regions that see heavy tourism.
What other phrases do I need to learn for survival?
Survival phrases like “hello”, “goodbye”, “please”, “thank you”, and “help” are useful to learn. These
will all help you in a foreign country. If you are looking for more phrases to expand your repertoire,
Memrise has lists of basic phrases for many different languages.
How can I avoid burnout when learning a language?
When learning a new language, it can be common to feel burnt out; avoiding this is key to consistent learning. Sticking to Memrise’s daily learning goals of 5, 10, or 15 new words is a great way to consistently progress without overloading yourself and burning out.
