If you think about it, there are different ways to say “thank you” in English, but in Spanish, you only know “gracias”. There are many different ways to say thank you in Spanish that you must learn!
Latin Americans are well known for being so cordial and giving thanks for everything. Saying “gracias” is some of the social mainstays, as they help us demonstrate to others that we care about them and appreciate what they do for us, so learning to say thank you is an essential part of the vocabulary of the language you are learning as it applies to all contexts of our daily lives, and it’s great to know the right expression for every occasion.
Therefore, in this article, we will go in-depth to offer you as many options as possible to say “thank you” that adapt to different situations and formalities and thus develop your skills to connect with native Spanish speakers. Here we go!
Formal and Informal Tone in Spanish
To say “thank you” In Spanish, you can use formal or informal language depending on the situation because there are two ways to refer to the third person singular (you): “tú” and “usted”. If you are talking to your friends and family, you will use “tú”, but if you are talking to your boss or manager you will use “usted”.
This is important to take into account when offering gratitude because depending on who you are thanking, you can use a different form of “thank you” but taking into account if it should be formal or informal, as the conjugation of the verbs involved will change and the whole phrase will adapt consequently.
If you want to know more about formal and informal communication in the Spanish language and have good manners, visit our guide on Tú vs Usted in Spanish and keep it in mind when saying “gracias” and “de nada”.
Informal Ways To Say “Thank You” In Spanish
1. Gracias
“Gracias” is the most common and well-known form of saying thank you in Spanish. It translates as “thanks” or “thank you” and can actually be used in both formal and informal situations.
2. Muchas gracias
“Muchas” means “a lot of” so if you want to add a bit of enthusiasm and not just say “gracias”, you can use this form. “Muchas gracias” can also be formal and informal.
3. Muchísimas gracias
It is the same as the previous one, only with much more gratitude. If the previous one is “a lot of” this one can mean much more than that – yes, as if “gracias” were something countable (but no, it’s not).
4. Gracias por todo
If someone has been very kind to you, several times, the best thing to do is to say “gracias por todo” (Thank you for everything). For example, when you go to someone’s house and during your stay, they gave you coffee, cookies, a nice welcome, and other things to thank you for, we say “gracias por todo”.
5. Gracias igual / Gracias de todos modos
Both phrases are used when someone has tried or wanted to help you but has not been able to. They translate “Thanks anyway”. It’s the best way to imply “it’s the thought that counts” so that the other person doesn’t feel so sorry for not being able to help you.
6. Te lo agradezco
This is a very sincere way of saying thank you in Spanish. We use “te lo agradezco” in informal contexts or when we know the person. “Agradezco” comes from the verb “agradecer” which means “to thank”. It is not the same as “gracias” since “gracias” is not a verb, but saying thanks is an action of “agradecer”. There are many ways to thank beyond just saying thank you. Below you will see the explanation and conjugation of this verb.
7. Te lo agradecería / agradecería si…
It is used to thank in advance for things that have not yet happened. For example, when you ask for a favor and want to say thank you before it is done. Let’s see an example to better understand.
Examples
Te agradecería si pudieras imprimir esto.
I would appreciate it if you could print this.¿Puedes imprimir esto? te lo agradecería.
Can you print this? I would appreciate it.
Formal Ways to Say “Thank You” in Spanish
You can use a simple “gracias” in formal situations, but check out some other additional phrases that you may find useful.
8. Gracias de antemano
It is mostly used in written texts, and it is used to say thanks before the other person does the action. For example, when you send an email to your boss in Spanish asking him to send you a document, you can end by saying “gracias de antemano” (thank you in advance).
9. Mil gracias
As we said before, “gracias” is not something countable, but it is always handled in the plural. (You can’t say “te doy la gracia” no, no… you say “te doy laS graciaS“) so this way is another way to express a little more thanks to someone, as “muchas gracias”. “Mil gracias” literally means “a thousand thanks” and is mostly used in formal contexts. There is also “un millón de gracias”, (a million of thanks) if you are really grateful. The use of “mil gracias” can also be seen in informal contexts, but it is not as common.
10. Muy amable
It is a way of complimenting the person you want to thank, saying that he/she is “very kind of you”. It can replace “gracias” and is usually used in short and simple situations for which you don’t have to thank so much (it’s not such a deep way of saying thank you). Let’s see an example.
A: Señor, ¿podría darme la hora?
A: Sir, could you give me the time?
B: Las 3 de la tarde.
B: 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
A: Muy amable.
A: Very kind of you.
You can also add “gracias” by saying “gracias, muy amable”.
If you’re enjoying these diverse ways to express ‘Thank You’ in Spanish, don’t stop there! Broaden your linguistic skills even further by discovering our guide on the Best Ways to Say You’re Welcome in Spanish. From simple phrases to local idioms, dive deeper into the richness of the Spanish language!
11. Se lo agradezco
Remember that in formal contexts the “te” is changed to “se” (“te lo agradezco” for informal, “se lo agradezco” for formal). Also, apply “se lo agradecería” as explained above, to say thank you before the other person performs the action you are grateful for.
12. Estoy muy agradecido
“Estoy muy agradecido” literally translates to “I am very grateful” and as far as formality goes, this is a fairly neutral way to show your appreciation. Another way of saying this is “te agradezco mucho” which means the same thing and can be translated as “I thank you very much”.
13. Qué amable de su parte
It means “that’s so kind of you” and is used when you didn’t expect the action from the other party and you are grateful for it. Like when they give you a gift or do something that will make something easier for you, you respond “that’s so kind of them”. You can change the “su” to “tu” (“qué amable de tu parte”) to change it to a more informal context, although it is rarely used.
Verbs to Say “Thank You” in Spanish
Every language uses different expressions to show gratitude. The Spanish language is no different in this aspect.
So, apart from the typical ways of saying “thank you” that we listed previously, there are also a variety of verbs of gratefulness that you can use to thank your Spanish-speaking friends.
1. Dar (las gracias)
As we know, “gracias” is not a verb, but more of a “feeling” and to demonstrate this, the verb “dar” can be used. When you “das las gracias” (give thanks) it is as if “gracias” is an object that you give to say thank you. “Dar las gracias” is the most used verb to say thanks. it is an irregular verb, so let’s see how to conjugate it.
| Spanish Personal Pronouns | Dar Conjugation |
| Yo (singular) | Doy |
| Tú / vos (singular – informal) | Das |
| Usted (singular – formal) | Da |
| Él / Ella (singular) | Da |
| Nosotros (plural) | Damos |
| Ustedes (plural – Latin America) | Dan |
| Vosotros (plural – Spain) | Dáis |
| Ellos / Ellas (plural) | Dan |
Continuing with “dar (las gracias)” It is used in formal and informal contexts to mention the thing you are grateful for.
Examples
Queremos dar las gracias a todos lo que hicieron todo esto posible.
We want to thank everyone who made all this possible.El siempre me da las gracias cada vez que voy a darle café.
He always thanks me every time I go to give him coffee.
2. Agradecer
“Agradecer” is an irregular verb, but if you remember the conjugation of “conocer”, then you got it! “Agradecer” is either used as a regular conjugated verb or can be the root of the past participle and adjective “agradecido” or of the noun “agradecimiento”.
Let’s see the conjugation of “agradecer” in the present simple tense.
| Spanish Personal Pronouns | Agradecer Conjugation |
| Yo (singular) | Agradezco |
| Tú / vos (singular – informal) | Agradeces |
| Usted (singular – formal) | Agradece |
| Él / Ella (singular) | Agradece |
| Nosotros (plural) | Agradecemos |
| Ustedes (plural – Latin America) | Agradecen |
| Vosotros (plural – Spain) | Agradeceis |
| Ellos / Ellas (plural) | Agradecen |
Let’s see some examples:
- Agradezco lo que hiciste por mi: I appreciate what you did for me.
- Le agradecemos que haya venido por nosotros: We thank you for coming for us.
Moreover, “agradecido” appears in the expression “estar agradecido” (to be thankful), and it is also normally used in the first person. Note that “agradecido” in this context is an adjective, so it has to agree in both gender and number with the subject of the phrase. Let’s see some examples:
- Estoy agradecido de estar con ustedes: I am grateful to be with you.
- Estoy agradecida de estar aquí: I am grateful to be here.
- Estamos agradecidos de que hayas venido: We are grateful that you came.
The noun “agradecimiento” can also be used in more formal contexts. Although it is not very usual in day-to-day conversations, when it appears it is often part of expressions to thank.
- Quiero expresar mi agradecimiento con los patrocinadores del evento: I want to express my appreciation to the sponsors of the event.
- El jefe comprará el almuerzo para todos en señal de agradecimiento por el buen trabajo: The boss will buy lunch for everyone as a token of appreciation for the good work.
3. Apreciar
The verb “apreciar” is a regular verb, which is not used much in everyday conversations. You could even say that it is mainly used in formal contexts, and it is used when we want to say something more than a simple “thank you”. Let’s see how to conjugate it in the present simple tense.
| Spanish Personal Pronouns | Apreciar Conjugation |
| Yo (singular) | Aprecio |
| Tú / vos (singular – informal) | Aprecias |
| Usted (singular – formal) | Aprecia |
| Él / Ella (singular) | Aprecia |
| Nosotros (plural) | Apreciamos |
| Ustedes (plural – Latin America) | Aprecian |
| Vosotros (plural – Spain) | Apreciáis |
| Ellos / Ellas (plural) | Aprecian |
The usual way is that “apreciar” is not used without a reason. When you use this verb, you explain for what reason you are thankful. Let’s see some examples.
Thank You for Reading
Now that you know the different ways to say thank you in Spanish, you are ready to be an educated person and thank without fear every Spanish speaker who does something for you. Saying thank you is something we should do every day, even when we just get out of bed because being able to breathe is a simple reason to say thank you, So from today try to say thank you every day but in Spanish, so you do two productive things at the same time: you start to be more thankful and you learn Spanish.
And if you want to learn to speak Spanish more fluently, or start from scratch, remember that with native Spanish teachers, there’s no way you won’t learn! So sign up for a free 1:1 class today or sign up for a 7-day trial of group lessons and find out why SpanishVIP’s methodology will help you get up to speed in a record time.
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