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How To Say ‘Thank you’ in Spanish

How to Say Thank You in Spanish

In most cultures, it is custom to express gratitude in some way or another. The dictionary defines gratitude as follows: it is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. Giving a sincere, thankful response to someone’s actions or words is often the ‘glue’ that keeps relationships together. This is true in most societies! Doing so in a foreign country also shows your respect and appreciation for the culture. Words have great power – use these ones sincerely and often!

Table of Contents

  1. 12 Ways to say ‘Thank you’ in Spanish
  2. Video Lesson: Learn to Say ‘Thank You’ in 3 Minutes
  3. Infographic & Audio Lesson: Survival Phrases – Thank You
  4. Video Lesson: ‘Thank You’ in 31 Languages
  5. How SpanishPod101 Can Help You

So, how do you say ‘Thank you’ in Spanish? You can learn easily! Below, SpanishPod101 brings you perfect translations and pronunciation as you learn the most common ways Spanish speakers say ‘Thanks’ in various situations.

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1. 12 Ways to say ‘Thank you’ in Spanish

1- Thank you.

Gracias.

The magical words that can bring a smile to any face. For one day, truly mean it whenever you say these words, and see how this lifts your spirit too!

2- That’s very kind of you.

Eso es muy amable de tu parte.

This phrase is appropriate when someone clearly goes out of their way to give good service, or to offer you a kindness.

3- Thanks for your kind words!

¡Gracias por tus amables palabras!

Someone paid you a compliment and made you feel good? That is kind of him/her, so express your gratitude!

4- Thank you for coming today.

Gracias por venir hoy.

This welcoming phrase should be part of your arsenal if you’re conducting more formal meetings with Spanish speakers. If you’re hosting a party, this is also a good phrase when you greet your Spanish guests!

5- Thank you for your consideration.

Gracias por su consideración.

This is a more formal, almost solemn way to thank someone for their thoughtfulness and sensitivity towards you. It is also suitable to use when a native speaker has to consider something you submit, like a job application, a project or a proposal. You are thanking them, in essence, for time and effort they are about to, or have spent on your submission.

6- Thanks a lot!

¡Muchas gracias!

This means the same as ‘Thank you’, but with energy and enthusiasm added! It means almost the same as ‘thank you so much’ in Spanish. Use this in an informal setting with your Spanish friends or teachers.

7- Teachers like you are not easy to find.

Maestros como usted no son fáciles de encontrar.

Some phrases are compliments, which express gratitude by inference. This is one of them. If you’re particularly impressed with your SpanishPod101 teacher, this is an excellent phrase to memorize!

8- Thank you for spending time with us.

Gracias por pasar tiempo con nosotros.

Any host at a gathering with Spanish speakers, such as a meeting or a party, should have this under his/her belt! Use it when you’re saying goodbye or busy closing a meeting. It could also be another lovely way to thank your Spanish language teacher for her time.

9- Thank you for being patient and helping me improve.

Gracias por ser paciente y ayudarme a mejorar.

This phrase is another sure way to melt any formal or informal Spanish teacher’s heart! Teaching is not easy, and often a lot of patience is required from the teacher. Thank him/her for it! It’s also a good phrase to use if you work in Spain, and want to thank your trainer or employer. You will go a long way towards making yourself a popular employee – gratitude is the most attractive trait in any person!

10- You’re the best teacher ever!

¡Es el mejor profesor!

This is also an enthusiastic way to thank your teacher by means of a compliment. It could just make their day!

11- Thank you for the gift.

Gracias por el regalo.

This is a good phrase to remember when you’re the lucky recipient of a gift. Show your respect and gratitude with these words.

12- I have learned so much thanks to you.

He aprendido mucho gracias a usted.

What a wonderful compliment to give a good teacher! It means they have succeeded in their goal, and you’re thankful for it.

2. Video Lesson: Learn to Say ‘Thank You’ in 3 Minutes

Wherever your destination maybe, manners are a must! And in this respect, Spain is no different.

1- Gracias.
In Spanish, there is a universal phrase for expressing one’s thanks: gracias. You can use gracias in any situation without fear of being inappropriate. If you want to emphasize the degree of thankfulness, you can add muchas before gracias to form the phrase muchas gracias, meaning, as you would expect, “thank you very much” or “thanks a lot.” Notice that gracias is acceptable both as a formal and informal expression.

2- Te doy las Gracias.
Since gracias is used so extensively on a daily basis, sometimes it may sound like an automatic response. In those situations in which you want to make sure that the person you are thanking feels that you are not mechanically saying gracias, it is advisable to use a variation just to show that you are truly thankful. You can, for example, apply a conjugated form of the verb dar, which means “to give,” in the following manner: Te doy las gracias. This sentence literally means “to you (I) give thanks,” and we should translate it as “I give you thanks.” Notice that gracias is a noun here.

3- Te lo agradezco.
Another variation for expressing thanks is using the verb agradecer. Again, if you use an expression other than gracias, you convey to the person you are talking with the feeling that you are truly thankful. A way in which you can use agradecer is as follows: Te lo agradezco, which literally means “to you it (I) thank.” We should translate it as “I thank you for it.” Notice that, unlike English, in which you must always explicitly say the subject of the sentence, you don’t need to do this in Spanish, as the conjugated form of the verb implies the subject. In this case, agradezco implies the first person, “I” (yo in Spanish).

Cultural Insights

Quick Tip Number One: When to Be Thankful

On your trip, you will be likely to use gracias or muchas gracias (depending on how grateful you are) in a multitude of situations. In no instance will you have to worry whether you have previously met your speaker, about the difference of ages, or how respectful you must be. Some situations in which you can use these phrases are as follows:

– when the taxi driver carries your luggage
– when the receptionist welcomes you to the hotel
– when the waiter brings your food or drinks
– when an old friend says how well you look
– when a policeman directs you to a place you are looking for
– when someone you’ve just met says your Spanish sounds really good
– when an older person gives you a map of the city you are visiting
– when a boy takes a picture of you with your camera

Quick Tip Number Two: Upping the Politeness Ante

If you feel you must be polite to the person you are talking to (an older person, someone you’ve just met), you can accomplish this through verb conjugation and using the polite form for usted. When you talk to someone, you can address the person as him/her using the form, equivalent to “you,” or the polite form usted, closer to “thou.”

Let’s rewrite the previously introduced expressions in the polite form:

Te doy las gracias (tú form) turns into Le doy las gracias (usted form)
Te lo agradezco (tú form) turns into Se lo agradezco (usted form)

Notice that the rule indicates that Te lo agradezco should become Le lo agradezco, but to avoid coming across as harsh, Le lo becomes Se lo agradezco.

On the run to Spain? Wait! You can’t go without some basic language phrases under your belt! Especially if you’re heading to meet your prospective employer! Either in person or online, knowing how to say ‘Thank you’ in the Spanish language will only improve their impression of you! SpanishPod101 saves you time with this short lesson that nevertheless packs a punch. Learn to say ‘Thank you’ in Spanish in no time!

3. Audio Lesson: Survival Phrases – Thank You

5 Ways to Say Thank You in Spanish

Perhaps you think it’s unimportant that you don’t know what ‘Thank you’ is in Spanish, or that it’s too difficult a language to learn. Yet, as a traveler or visitor, you will be surprised at how far you can go using a little bit of Spanish in Spain!

Click Here to Listen to the Free Audio Lesson!

At SpanishPod101, we offer you a few ways of saying ‘Thank you’ in Spanish that you have no excuse not knowing, as they’re so simple and easy to learn. The lesson is geared to aid your ‘survival’ in formal and informal situations in Spain, so don’t wait! You will never have to google ‘How do you say thanks in Spanish’ again…!

4. ‘Thank You’ in 31 Languages

For the global traveler in a hurry, here are 31 ways to say ‘Thank you’! These are the first words you need to learn in any foreign language – it is sure to smooth your way with native speakers by showing your gratitude for services rendered, and your respect for their culture! Learn and know how to correctly say ‘Thank you’ in 31 different languages in this short video.

5. Why would SpanishPod101 be the perfect choice to learn Spanish?

However, you need not stop at ‘Thank you’ in Spanish – why not learn to speak the language?! You have absolutely nothing to lose. Research has shown that learning a new language increases intelligence and combats brain-aging. Also, the ability to communicate with native speakers in their own language is an instant way to make friends and win respect! Or imagine you know how to write ‘Thank you’ to that special Spanish friend after a date…he/she will be so impressed!

Thank You

SpanishPod101 Has Special Lessons, Tools and Resources to Teach You How to Say Thank You and Other Key Phrases

With more than a decade of experience behind us, we have taught thousands of satisfied users to speak foreign languages. How do we do this? First, we take the pain out of learning! At SpanishPod101, students are assisted as they master vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation through state-of-the-art and fun online learning methods. A library replete with learning resources allows for you to learn at your own pace and in your own space! Resources include thousands of video and audio recordings, downloadable PDF lessons and plenty of learning apps for your mobile devices. Each month, we add benefits with FREE bonuses and gifts to improve your experience.

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Best of all is that you’re never alone! We believe that practice is the holy grail of learning any new language, and we gear our courses to ensure lots of it. Enroll with us, and you gain immediate access to our lively forum where we meet and greet, and discuss your burning questions. Our certified teachers are friendly and helpful, and you are very likely to practice your first ‘Thanks!’ in Spanish on him/her, AND mean it! Hurry up, and sign up now – you will thank us for it.