Are you planning a trip to another country and want to be able to communicate, even on a basic level. Kick off your journey by learning how to say thank you in different languages.
I have to confess, I’m really bad at learning new languages which is even worse because I grew up in Cyprus and Germany. We lived on an Army base and everything around me was in English so I just didn’t need to learn. Plus I was a kid so it wasn’t something I even thought about.
It’s a massive regret that I didn’t use that experience to become fluent in another language so now I always try to learn some of the language for all of the countries I travel to.
We get the kids involved in this and do it together as a family. We keep it simple and stick to basic phrases like please, hello, goodbye, yes and no, or counting 1 – 10.
Being able to speak even a few phrases in their language shows respect and immerses you into the culture you’re visiting. The kids really enjoy getting to speak a different language and it’s a great way to get kids involved in the planning for a trip. We’ve always received a warm welcome from locals, especially when it’s the kids saying merci or arigatō.
What’s in this post?
In this post you can learn how to say thank you in different languages. From Spanish to Arabic we cover the spelling and pronunciation so you can be totally prepared for your travels.
Did you know that there are more than more than 7000 languages and over half of the world’s population speak just 23 of them? We’ve cut this list down to 12 popular languages to learn according to the 2024 Duolingo Language Report, Babbels article on the 10 most spoken languages in the world, and the most spoken languages worldwide according to Statista.
If there’s a language on this list you need to learn first you can skip straight there by clicking on that section in the contents below. If you’re just interested in learning different languages, then scroll down to learn how to say thank you in different languages
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Arabic: Shukran
When saying thank you in Arabic, one of the most commonly used phrases is “shukran”.
Arabic is spoken by more than 310 million native speakers, primarily across North Africa and the Middle East, with Modern Standard Arabic being most widely used in writing and formal speech.
How to pronounce Shukran: shook-ran
Bengali: Dhonnobaad
When saying thank you in Bengali (or Bangla), one of the most commonly used phrases is “dhonnobaad”.
Bengali is spoken by more than 230 million people worldwide, primarily in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
How to pronounce dhonnobaad: dono-bad
English: thanks
When saying thank you in English, one of the most commonly used phrases is “thanks”. You can also use “cheers” in more informal settings.
English is spoken by over 1.5 billion people worldwide. It’s the most widely spoken and recognised language in the world so learning basic phrases in English can be useful in communicating with different people around the world.
How to pronounce thank you: th-ah-nk-s
French: Merci
When saying thank you in French, one of the most commonly used phrases is “merci”. You can also say “merci beaucoup” which means thank you very much.
French is spoken by more than 275 million people worldwide, widely spoken across France, Belgium, Switzerland, parts of Canada, and many countries in Africa.
How to pronounce merci: mer-see
German: Danke
When saying thank you in German, one of the most commonly used phrases is “danke”. You can also use “danke schön which means thank you very much.
German is spoken by more than 95 million people worldwide, primarily in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Belgium and Luxembourg.
How to pronounce danke: dan-ka
Hindi: Shukriya
When saying thank you in Hindi, one of the most commonly used phrases is “shukriya”.
Hindi is spoken by over 600 million people worldwide, primarily in northern and central India, but due to Bollywood and Indian communities around the world its influence is global.
How to pronounce shukriya: shook-ri-ya
Italian: Grazie
When saying thank you in Italian, one of the most commonly used phrases is “grazie”. People often drop the final vowel and just say grat-see or replace it with ah sound like grat-see-ah but these are both incorrect.
Italian is spoken by around 67 million people worldwide, primarily in Italy and parts of Switzerland.
How to pronounce grazie: grat-see-eh
Japanese: Arigatō
When saying thank you in Japanese, one of the most commonly used phrases is “arigatō”. You can also use “arigatō gozaimasu” if you want extra politeness in a formal setting.
Japanese is spoken by over 125 million people almost exclusively in Japan. Japanese culture places a lot of importance on politeness and respect so if you’re not sure which greeting to use it’s best to observe and follow the lead of how the locals greet each other.
How to pronounce arigatō: ah-ri-gat-oh
Korean: Gomawo
When saying thank you in Korean, one of the most commonly used phrases is “gomawo”. You can also use “gomawoyo” to be more formal.
Korean is spoken by more than 77 million people worldwide, mostly spoken across South and North Korea but also in Korean communities around the world.
How to pronounce Gomawo: goo-ma-wo
Mandarin Chinese: Xièxiè
When saying thank you in Mandarin, one of the most commonly used phrases is “xièxiè”. The x sound is really difficult to pronounce correctly so to help you learn here’s a video that clearly explains how to say the x sound in Mandarin.
Mandarin is spoken by over 920 million people worldwide. Although it’s primarily spoken in China, Taiwan, and Singapore. and is the most spoken language in the world.
How to pronounce xièxiè: see-eh see-eh
Portuguese: Obrigado
When saying thank you in Portuguese, one of the most commonly used phrases is “obrigado”. You can also use “obriga or valeu” in informal settings or to just say thanks.
Portuguese is spoken by more than 220 million people worldwide and is mostly spoken in Portugal and Brazil with a few other countries
How to pronounce obrigado: ob-ri-gad-oh
Spanish: Gracias
When saying thank you in Spanish, one of the most commonly used phrases is “gracias”. You can also use “muchas gracias” which means thanks very much.
Spanish is spoken by more than 485 million people making it the second most spoken language by native speakers. It’s widely spoken across not only Spain but also South and Central America including Mexico, Argentina and Puerto Rico.
How to pronounce gracias: gra-see-ass
Summary: thank you in different languages
We find learning even small basic parts of a new language as a family a rewarding experience and as a plus it makes travel more engaging and educational for your kids.
It doesn’t take much effort but it’s so worth it because it shows respect for the culture in the country you’re visiting.
Saying “thank you” might seem like a small gesture, but mastering a few local greetings is a small effort that makes a big impact when traveling.
