If you know nothing else about Spanish, we always suggest starting with how to say “thank you.” Most people know that gracias is the standard way to express gratitude in Spanish. We see it online, in movies and on TV. But did you know there are actually dozens of different ways to say “thank you” in Spanish? Verbs such as agradecer, apreciar and deberse may be an even better choice than gracias, depending on the context.
And that’s the thing about language — it’s contextual. You wouldn’t say “ta” to an American or reply “k, thx” to your boss, and you might find that one particular way of saying “thank you” in Spanish suits a particular situation better than another.. In any case, adding some diversity to your everyday vocabulary is a great way to feel more comfortable speaking. On that note, let’s learn 35 more ways to say “thank you” in Spanish.
Learn languages at your pace
Formal ways to say ‘thank you’ in Spanish
Picture yourself in a business meeting or at your first dinner with your partner’s family. You want to put your best foot forward — and that means using polite language. So, how do you thank your boss or your partner’s family for the invitation?
The verb ‘agradecer’
Agradecer (to appreciate; to be thankful for) with the formal usted or ustedes articles is a great way to politely say “thank you” in Spanish. There are lots of ways to conjugate agradecer based on the form and tense (e.g. the subjunctive tense). Let’s focus on a few common phrases:
Other formal ways to say ‘thank you’
Intense thanks for formal situations
Informal ways to say ‘thank you’ in Spanish
Here are some expressions you can use in casual situations, with friends or family. Notice that, instead of the formal article se (used when addressing people formally as Usted), here you will see the informal article te (the indirect object pronoun for addressing people informally as tú).
Learn languages at your pace
So many thanks
Getting emotional
Let’s talk about how great you are
‘Gracias por’ vs. ‘Gracias para’
Thanks for what? If you’re going to use a whole sentence to say thanks, don’t forget the difference between por and para in Spanish.
Using gracias para to thank someone is wrong. Don’t use it in that way!
Use gracias por to thank someone for something. For example:
- Gracias por venir (Thanks for coming)
- Gracias por el regalo (Thanks for the gift)
- Dile gracias por todo lo que hizo (Tell her thanks for everything she did)
Thanks for learning how to say ‘thank you’ in Spanish!
Now that you know how to say “thank you” in Spanish in 35 different ways besides gracias, get out there and spread some gratitude. Go beyond the standard “thank you very much” in Spanish and really pull at some heart strings. They’ll love you for it. And don’t forget — it’s always gracias por and never para to thank someone for something. All good? K, thx, bye.
Learn languages at your pace
Alison Maciejewski Cortez
Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbXNoKadmV6YvK57waWmoGeVo3y1tMCnomaxn6p6tLzAp6CsoF8%3D