Thank You in Spanish

The word gracias in Spanish, meaning “thank you” or just “thanks”, appears in all kinds of everyday contexts to thank someone for something they have done.

However, gracias is by no means the only way to say “thank you”. A large number of set phrases as well as several verbs exist, each of which will be used depending not only on the level of formality or informality the context requires, but also on how much appreciation the speaker wants to express:

Informal ways to say “thank you”	Formal ways to say “thank you”
Gracias Thanks / Thank you	Gracias Thank you
Muchas gracias Thanks a lot	Muchas gracias Thank you very much
Muchísimas gracias Thank you so much	Estoy muy agradecido/a I am very grateful
Mil gracias Thanks a lot	Se / te lo agradezco I really appreciate it
Un millón de gracias Thanks a million	Es muy amable de su / tu parte It's very kind of you
Gracias de todo corazón Thank you from the bottom of my heart	Desde ya muchas gracias Thank you very much in advance

Quick tip: Gracias is a set phrase, not a noun. Therefore, the final s does not mark a plural form.

Informal ways to say “thank you” in Spanish

Informal and neutral contexts call for simple, straightforward expressions:

1. Gracias / Thank you

Gracias, which may be translated both as “thank you” and “thanks”, is the most basic and usual way to say “thank you” in Spanish. Though a stand-alone expression, it is typically followed by the preposition por (for), which introduces a noun or a verb to give more information, like this: gracias por + noun / verb:

¡Gracias!
Thanks! / Thank you!

Gracias por todo.
Thanks for everything!

Gracias por estar siempre.
Thanks for always being around.

2. Muchas gracias / Thank you very much

The expression muchas gracias may be used instead of the simpler version gracias to sound more polite and thankful, and show more appreciation towards the listener:

Muchas gracias por venir.
Thank you very much for coming.

3. Muchísimas gracias / Thank you so much

Muchísimas gracias is said to express thanks in a heartfelt and warm-hearted way, to show appreciation for something the speaker is really thankful for:

Muchísimas gracias por acompañarme hoy.
Thank you so much for being with me today.

4. Mil gracias / Thanks a lot

Literally translated as “thanks a thousand times”, the expression mil gracias is used for emphasis, in situations that the speaker considers very important and wants to show real appreciation for the help or favor received:

¡Mil gracias por haber venido desde tan lejos!
Thanks a lot for coming all this way!

5. Un millón de gracias / Thanks a million

This is the most emphatic way to thank someone in informal contexts. It should only be used in situations that call for strong emphasis; otherwise, it may sound out of place:

Un millón de gracias por todo lo que has hecho por mí.
Thanks a million for everything you’ve done for me.

Note: To refuse something, the expression No, gracias (No, thanks) is used. When help or a favor was not granted, the following expressions may be used: Gracias igual (Thanks anyway), Gracias de todos modos (Thank you all the same).

Formal ways to say “thank you” in Spanish

Though the words gracias and muchas gracias are used in all types of contexts, both formal and informal, more formal contexts call for longer, less simple or straightforward ways that are in line with the formality of the situation, especially when usted pronoun (formal “you”) is used, or when social distance is required.

6. Estoy muy agradecido / I am very grateful

Estoy muy agradecido/a is only used in very formal oral and written contexts:

Estoy muy agradecida por la bienvenida que nos han dado.
I am very grateful for the welcome you have given us.

7. Te lo agradezco / I really appreciate it

This expression may be introduced by the pronoun te (which addresses the neutral or informal tú-you), or by the pronoun se (which addresses the formal usted-you). Thank you verbs in Spanish are: agradecer (thank), apreciar (appreciate), dar las gracias (thank).

Le agradezco el esfuerzo que ha hecho.
I appreciate the effort you have made.

8. Es muy amable de tu parte / It is very kind of you

This formal expression may be used with the possessive tu (neutral or informal) or su (formal), both meaning “your”.

Muchas gracias por aceptarme en su equipo; es muy amable de su parte.
Thank you very much for accepting me into your team; it is very kind of you.

9. Desde ya muchas gracias / Thank you very much in advance

This very formal expression is used mainly in writing to thank in advance for something requested in the hope that it will be granted:

A la espera de vuestra respuesta, desde ya muchas gracias.
I look forward to hearing from you; thank you very much in advance.

10. Nuevamente gracias / Thank you once again

This expression may be used in combination with other formal “thank you” phrases for emphasis.

Le agradezco infinitamente. Esto es muy importante para mí. Nuevamente gracias.
I cannot thank you enough. This is really important for me. Thank you once again.

How to respond to “thank you” in Spanish

The most suitable way to answer gracias will depend on how formal or informal a situation is. Among the most common ways are:

Informal contexts	Formal contexts
De nada You’re welcome	Muchas gracias a ti / usted  You are truly welcome
No es nada No worries	Por favor, no tiene por qué Not at all
Gracias a ti Thank you	Estoy feliz de poder ayudar I am glad I can be of any help
No hay de qué No problem	Fue un placer It was my pleasure
¡Por nada! Don’t mention it	Con mucho gusto A pleasure
¡Con gusto! My pleasure	Encantado de poder ayudar I am glad I can be of any help
¡A la orden! Anytime!	El/la agradecido/a soy yo The pleasure was all mine

How to write a thank you note

Just as happens in English, thank you notes in Spanish (notas de agradecimiento) tend to be short and straightforward. The level of formality will determine the vocabulary and expressions used:

Informal thank you note examples

Thanking a gift

Thanking help received

Formal thank you note examples

Thanking an action

Thanking help received

Related articles:

• “You’re welcome” in Spanish
• "How are you" in Spanish
• "Have a good day" in Spanish
• "Good night" in Spanish

References

• Oxford Spanish Dictionary 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press, accessed July 24, 2024
• Wordreference.com, accessed July 24, 2024,  https://www.wordreference.com/