27 Ways to Say “Thank You” in Italian

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What is “thank you” in Italian? “Thank you” in Italian is grazie. But there are so many more options to choose from!

Learning how to express your gratitude in a language is important.

Think about it: what would happen if you didn’t know how to say “thank you” in English? Start thinking about how many times you would come across as rude in your daily life…

At Fluent in 3 Months we do our best to help you learn your target language as smoothly as possible, so my mission today is to teach you how to be thankful in Italian.

PS: this article features native tips to help your Italian get as polished as possible. If you’re curious about traditional alternatives to thanking someone in Italy without using the words for it (yes, food’s involved!).

Pronti? Via! (“Ready? Let’s go!”)

How to Say “Thank You” in Italian: Grazie

The Italian word for “thank you” is grazie. It comes from the Latin word family of the words gratia and gratus that are tied to concepts of thankfulness, easygoingness, and friendship.

Attenzione! (“Be careful!”) Beginner Italian learners often confuse grazie with grazia. I’ll help you sound more like a native by showing you the difference between the two.

So do you say grazie or grazia?

In Italian, grazia means “grace”, and grazie is the plural of grazia, but it doesn’t have much else in common with its homonym grazie, which is used to say “thank you” in Italy. What does that mean? Simply that you cannot use grazia to express your gratitude. Even if you’re being grateful for a single thing.

If you need a trick to remember this, think about “welcome” and “you’re welcome” in English. They look and sound similar, but you would generally not use “welcome” to reply to a “thank you”.

Another word non-Italian speakers sometimes confuse with grazie is gratis. They have a similar spelling and pronunciation, but they are in no means the same. In fact, gratis means “free” in the sense of “costing no money”, just like it does in English.

Obviously, you may say grazie when you get something gratis.

How to Say “Thanks” in Italian

There isn’t a specific way to say “thanks” in Italian, you just use the same word as for “thank you”: grazie.

The noun thanks (as in “I give you my thanks”) in Italian is ringraziamento, which we’ll look at more closely later in the article.

How to Say “Thank You Very Much” in Italian: Grazie Mille

Italians will say grazie mille or mille grazie (literally “thanks a thousand” and “a thousand thanks”) to say “thank you very much”.

The proper English idiom to replace grazie mille or mille grazie would be “thanks a million”.

This is one of the most historic sayings to say “thank you” in Italian. It was used in letters, in formal conversations, and is still popular today.

How to Say “Thanks so Much” in Italian: Grazie Infinite

It’s not easy to directly link Italian ways to say “thank you” with English ones because they tend to have no literal translation.

However, as “thanks so much” is a tad stronger than “thanks very much”, you could use grazie infinite (“infinite thanks”) as an equivalent.

Infinite is more than a thousand, isn’t it?

Related learning: If you’re looking for some motivation in your Italian learning journey, give this episode of the Language Hacking podcast a listen!

How to Say “Thanks a Lot” in Italian

Now we’re slightly decreasing the intensity of the thanks. To say “thanks a lot” in Italian, say grazie tante.

How to Say “Many Thanks” in Italian: Molte Grazie

“Many thanks” in Italian is either tante grazie or molte grazie.

How to Say “Thank Again” in Italian: Grazie Ancora

The word for “again” in Italian is ancora, so to say “thanks again” say grazie ancora. When chatting with Italians you might eventually come across the phrase grazie rinnovate (“renewed thanks”).

How to Say “Thanks For…” in Italian

We often use the “thanks for + verb” construction in everyday life, in sentences such as “thanks for calling”. To do that in Italian, follow this pattern:

Examples:

• Grazie per aver chiamato – “Thanks for calling.”
• Grazie d’essere venuto – “Thanks for coming.”

If you instead want to use the formula “thanks for + noun”, use grazie per il/l’/la or grazie del/dell’/della.

Examples:

• Grazie per la chiamata – “Thanks for the call.”
• Grazie dell’invito – “Thanks for the invitation.”

How to Text “Thank U” in Italian

The word for “thank you” in Italian is already short as it is, so the cyber Italians still haven’t deemed it necessary to find a byte-sized version of it.

That means that to text “thank u” in Italian, you’d simply type grazie.

It’s also frequent to receive a ti ringrazio❤️ or some tvb (ti voglio bene, “I love you”) and tvtb (ti voglio tanto bene, “I love you a lot”).

Psst… If you’d like to discover more sweet Italian texts to send your loved ones, check out these romantic Italian phrases.

How to Say “You Shouldn’t Have” in Italian

If you have to say “thank you” after receiving a gift, don’t forget about the extra emotion that Italians sprinkle on everything. Make sure to let your friends know that you’re very flattered that they thought of getting you something.

Italian people often quickly roll past “thank yous” to jump to the “you shouldn’t have” part of being grateful.

Non avresti dovuto (“you shouldn’t have”) or ma non avresti dovuto (“but you shouldn’t have”) are popular Italian expressions to react to receiving a gift. They are a way to say that the gift was unexpected and is gratefully received.

They are short for non avresti dovuto comprare niente (“you shouldn’t have bought anything”) or similar phrases.

The Noun “Thanks” in Italian: Ringraziamento

The noun “thanks” in Italian is ringraziamento, but it is most often used in plural form if you want to express gratitude: ringraziamenti. Using it to express thankfulness will turn the phrase into a formal, more polite one than if you just used grazie. They are generally used in written form or during speeches.

Here are two examples of a phrase using ringraziamenti.

• I miei ringraziamenti – “All my gratitude.”
• Porgo i miei più sinceri ringraziamenti – “I offer you my sincerest thanks.”

The Verb “To Thank” in Italian: Ringraziare

The verb “to thank” in Italian is ringraziare.

Native tip: Use the verb in case you cannot accept an invitation or a favor: Ti ringrazio (ma non posso), sarà per un’altra volta, which means “thank you (but I can’t), perhaps another time.

You can season the phrase with molto or tanto (“a lot”), moltissimo or tantissimo (“very much”), or davvero (“truly”).

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How to Say “Thank You” in Italian, Formal Version: La Ringrazio

Although grazie and its derived phrases are suitable for both informal and formal situations, there are ways to sound even more polite when saying “thank you” in Italian.

One of them is by using the verb ringraziare and the pronoun lei, the formal singular “you”, which results in la ringrazio.

How to Say “Thank You” in Italian Slang: Ti Ringrazio un Sacco

Literally “thank you a bag”, ti ringrazio un sacco is an Italian slang way to say thank you.

Un sacco in Italian slang means “a lot”.

How to Say “Thankful” in Italian: Grato/a

The adjective grato (“thankful”) in Italian shares the same root as the verb ringraziare. The feminine version is grata, the masculine plural is grati, and the feminine plural is grate.

“To be grateful” in Italian is essere grato/a, a verb phrase at the origin of a common Italian expression of deep gratitude: Ti sono infinitamente grato/a (literally “I am infinitely grateful to you”). You can also say ti sono grato (“I am grateful to you.”)

Native tip: remember to change the pronoun in the previous phrase according to the person you’re addressing. With lei (formal singular second person), use Le sono grato/a. With voi (plural second person), use Vi sono grato/a.

How to Say “Thankfulness” in Italian: Gratitudine

The word gratitudine (“thankfulness”) in Italian shares the root of the words grazie and grato.

Some “thank you” Italian expressions that contain the word gratitudine are la tua gentilezza merita tutta la mia gratitudine (“your kindness deserves all my gratitude”) and come ti posso dimostrare la mia gratitudine? (“how can I show you my gratitude?”)

Italian Thank You Phrases

Thought that was it? Italians are very serious about being thankful, so here are a few more Italian thank you phrases to enrich your vocabulary.

Choose one for each day of the week. 😜

• Sei un angelo/tesoro. – “You’re an angel/treasure.” Use this one with children or people you’re on very familiar terms with, such as a best friend or boyfriend.
• Grazie di cuore. – “Thanks from the heart.”
• Grazie dal profondo del mio cuore. – “Thanks from the bottom of my heart.”
• Grazie davvero. – “Thanks, really.”
• Grazie di tutto. – “Thanks for everything.”
• Ti devo un favore. – “I owe you a favor.”
• Hai fatto davvero tanto per me. – “You really did a lot for me.”
• Grazie di esserci per me. – “Thank you for being here for me.”
• Non ho parole per ringraziarti. – “I have no words left to thank you.” Use ringraziarla with lei and ringraziarvi with voi.

How to Say “Thank You” in a Letter in Italian

Need an Italian letter closing to say thank you? Use cordialmente grazie (“cordial thanks”), sinceramente grazie (“sincere thanks”), or La ringrazio anticipatamente (“thanks in advance”). Remember to use ti ringrazio anticipatamente with tu.

How to Say “Thank God” in Italian

“Thank God” in Italian is grazie a Dio. However, the main expression used to express relief is meno male (“luckily”, literally “less worse”).

How to Say “Please” in Italian: Per Favore

To say “please” in Italian, you say per favore, which roughly translates to “as a favor”.

“Please” sometimes accompanies the phrase “could you…” as in “could you do me a favor, please?” That would be mi faresti un favore, per favore? in Italian.

You could also say per piacere (roughly “as a pleasure”).

Native tip: Attenzione! If someone asks you if you want a coffee and you want to answer “yes, please”, don’t say sì, per favore! Use sì, grazie instead. The first isn’t incorrect, but Italians don’t use it and you shouldn’t if you want to sound like you’re a local.

How to Say “You’re Welcome” in Italian: Prego

There are several ways to say “you’re welcome” in Italian.

The first and most used one is prego, which literally translates to “I pray”. Prego is short for ti prego di non ringraziarmi (“I beg you not to thank me”).

Next on the list, we have non c’è di che. It’s short for non c’è di che ringraziare (“there’s no reason to say thank you”). It’s formal but only slightly so, so you can use it in any setting.

Have you ever heard of figurati? It’s a way to say “you’re welcome” in Italian that doesn’t have an English equivalent. Its meaning is close to that of “don’t mention it”. Say si figuri with lei and figuratevi with voi.

Next up comes non c’è problema (“no problems”), which you’d rather use with friends or family members. E di che (“and why”) is another informal “you’re welcome” that implies that whatever you did was no big deal.

Some more alternatives include di nulla and di niente (“for nothing”) and ci mancherebbe (“by all means” or “not at all”).

How to Say “Thank You” in Italian: Grazie a Lei or A Lei

Grazie a lei (“thank you”), also shortened to a lei (literally “to you”), is the go-to expression to use when you can’t say “you’re welcome” but still have to answer a “thank you”.

In Italy, people use grazie a lei several times throughout their day. It’s a way of reflecting thankfulness onto your interlocutor after you’ve been thanked.

In some occasions, it simply cannot be omitted or replaced.

Let’s make that clearer with an example. After an Italian has paid for their coffee in a bar, they will thank the barista, and the barista will promptly thank them back. It would go like this:

Grazie mille, arrivederci. – “Thank you very much, goodbye.” (Grazie) a lei, buona giornata. – “Thank you, have a good day.”

Native tip: Grazie a lei is the formal version, but grazie a te is the informal one you might want to use with friends and family. The occasion? When you’re having people over for dinner, for example.

Grazie per l’invito. – “Thanks for the invitation.” Grazie a te per essere venuta. – “Thank you for coming.”

Say “Thank You” in Italian Without Actually Saying Grazie

If you’ve reached the end of the article, you are entitled to your reward: a guide on traditional ways of saying “thank you“ in Italian without actually saying “grazie” – or any of the phrases mentioned above.

As you’ve seen so far in the post, Italians are very fond of saying thank you. But when voicing their gratitude isn’t enough, they turn to showing it. Actions speak louder than words, right?

Depending on who you are thanking, hugs and kisses might work. But if it’s not your family members you need to show thankfulness to, then learn a few other options in this short guide.

Food

Surprised? Yeah, I didn’t think you’d be – and not just because I hinted at food in the introduction of the post. I don’t think it can be stressed enough how important food is in the Italian culture. So, obviously, you can say “thank you” with food in Italy.

The type of food you will use depends on the occasion and the person you are thanking.

If you want to show gratefulness when going to an informal meal held at a friend’s or family member’s house, go for home-cooked food. Fatto in casa è meglio! (“What’s done at home is better!”) This will communicate thoughtfulness and engagement, so there is no need to say how much your gift will be appreciated.

Yes, this also includes home-grown food.

Next up in the list of most welcomed thank-yous for this kind of occasion is the gelato (“ice cream”). Attenzione! It’s only reserved for people in your tight circle.

You could also bring some paste (“pastries”), but only if you are sure they will be of your host’s liking. It’s a good idea to keep things classic: fruits, chocolate, coffee, cream. If you aren’t a hundred and one percent sure those ricotta-and-orange rolls will please your host, then give them a wide berth.

Let’s change the scenario and say you are invited over by your boss’ house or someone you are on formal terms with. Bring a box of cioccolatini (“chocolates”) – stay clear of the brandy-and-mint ones if they’re not your host’s absolute favorite – or a bottle of wine.

However, you might not know enough about the host and their family – and sugar and alcohol are not for everyone. In this case, refer to the third section of this list.

If you’re not being invited over but have to thank your Italian friend(s) for some favor they did you, an invitation to brunch or dinner would be amazing. And of course, andare a prendere un caffè (“to go have a coffee”) – with some paste on the side – always sounds great.

Gift for Children

Italians attribute a huge importance to family, so if you want to make sure your gratitude really shows, aim to reflect it onto the children of the person you’re thanking. Italians will deeply appreciate it if you get their little ones some gifts.

Plus, think of it. Children are usually easier to please than adults, so it also makes things easier for you.

Flowers

Flowers are the most elegant and life-saving thank-you gifts in Italy.

If you don’t know your host’s taste in food and can’t resort to gifts for the children, offer flowers to la padrona di casa (“the landlady”). You can bring them upon arrival if you’re invited for a meal or send them to the person’s house.

If you’re unsure what flowers to get and do not know the hostess’ preferences, consider a bouquet of these:

• dahlias to express gratitude
• hortensias to thank for comprehension in a moment of difficulty
• yellow roses, tulips, sunflowers, or daisies, which are genuine, simple flowers that symbolize friendship
• irises to communicate a strong friendship
• peonies to show appreciation

Return the Favor

Is there any way better to show thankfulness than to return a favor?

If you’ve been invited to have a coffee, the next one will be on you. If your coworker carpooled your child home, maybe organize a fun afternoon at the park for both your children.

Italians appreciate genuine gestures.

Write a Thank You Note

Write a bigliettino (“note”) to thank someone for their kindness, or send it to your boss’ house the day after you were invited for dinner.

Even though text messages are taking over, sending a note is still more romantic and shows more effort. Combine it with flowers for maximum effect.

Thank you, Italian!

This is the part of the post where I usually realize how rich a language Italian is. I’m very grata to be able to speak it.

If you also think that Italian is a beautiful language and are determined to learn it, grazie di cuore for sharing this passion with me!

If you’ve read this far, I really like you… and I really want you to enjoy your learning journey and to successfully learn the language!

That’s why I’ll give you some advice: check out Benny Lewis’ top resources for learning Italian. You’ll find some free apps to get started and il meglio (“the best”) of Italian internet courses on this page.

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