Knowing how to say thank you in Italian is one of the best ways to communicate your respect for a different culture. Being courteous has always been a nicety that people all around the world experience in everyday life. Italians do it by using some expressions that are lively and impactful, as they put great emphasis on showing their good manners.
How to say Thank You in Italian:
Thank you in Italian is translated with grazie. This is the plural form of the word grazia and it is used to thank someone, to express one’s gratitude. Grazie is one of the most heard words when you’re thanking someone in Italian. According to the tone, grazie can be sincere, humorous, sarcastic or even just automatic. Other related terms are ringraziamento (the act of thanking) and gratitudine (gratitude). From grazie we also form the verb ringraziare (to thank).
If you’re planning to go to Italy, you should really know how to say thank you properly. You’ll use grazie and its related expressions in endless scenarios you don’t even personally imagine.
In this article, we’ll explore both formal and informal ways to thank people in different situations. Thus, you can express your gratitude in ways that go beyond the most common word!
All the ways to translate Thank You in Italian:
- Grazie mille
- Molte grazie
- Grazie davvero
- Grazie infinite
- Grazie di cuore
- Grazie di tutto
- Ti/La/Vi ringrazio
- Grazie assai
- Tante grazie
- Grazie tante
- Grazie ancora
- Ti/Le sono grato
- Non ho parole per ringraziarti / Non so come ringraziarti
- Sì, grazie / No, grazie
Now let’s see how to use them properly in the right context!
And if you want to improve your vocabulary, here are some books for you:
1. Grazie mille
Grazie mille is by far the most popular way of saying thank you in Italian. You will hear it in both formal and informal contexts, as it’s used by almost everyone in the country.
Are you familiar with the expression ‘thanks a million’? That’s exactly how you can translate it, even if mille means literally ‘a thousand’. This expression is effusive Italian at its best. If your friend gives up on his/her sandwich because you forgot your lunch, you’d definitely want to say grazie mille!
In addition, it can be also used in a sarcastic way to convey annoyance rather than thanks. Perhaps your sister left you the dishes to wash after dinner. That’s time to roll your eyes and sigh a grazie mille right away.
Examples:
Grazie mille, stavo morendo di fame!
Thanks a million, I was starving!
Ho comprato il biglietto del concerto dei Maneskin. – E non ne hai preso uno per me? Grazie mille, eh!
I bought a ticket for the Maneskin concert. – And you didn’t get me one? Thanks a million, eh!
2. Molte grazie
A basic thank you becomes more evocative using a modifier, in this case: molto. It can mean much, very and – as said – many in Italian.
Therefore, it literally translates to ‘many thanks’. Compared to the previous one, molte grazie is a little less emphatic and typically employed for formal exchanges: for example, when you’re talking to your Italian teacher or your boss.
However, it’s still one of the most common ways of saying ‘thank you very much’ in Italian.
Example:
Molte grazie per la magnifica cena.
Thank you very much / Many thanks for the lovely dinner.
3. Grazie davvero
This is another way to truly express your thanks in Italian. Translated into English, grazie davvero means something like ‘thank you, for real’ or even ‘thank you, I really mean it’.
So, when someone really takes the extra mile into helping you, that’s when you should use it. You can even double the grazie to make it more powerful.
Example:
Grazie, grazie davvero per essere qui.
Thank you so much for being here, I mean it.
4. Grazie infinite
Speaking of being emphatic while saying thank you in Italian, grazie infinite can help you out expressing the right amount of enthusiasm you feel about something. Is your gratitude ‘infinite’? Then this expression is the one to be used. It is not that colloquial to be the perfect match with a casual chat with family and friends.
However, it’s a good way to show that you’re extremely thankful for someone has done something really special for you.
Example:
Grazie infinite per il regalo.
Thank you so much / Infinite thanks for the present.
5. Grazie di cuore
When a thank you is heartfelt, you often hear grazie di cuore as a good way to express your deepest gratitude. This is the one to use when you want to sound extra sincere and go emotional towards someone. You can translate it with ‘thanks with all my heart’ or also ‘thanks from the bottom of my heart’.
Otherwise, it can sound a little exaggerated. So, my suggestion is: reserve it for situations where you want to be authentic and heartwarming.
Example:
Grazie di cuore per tutto ciò che hai fatto per mia figlia.
Thank you with all my heart / My heartfelt thanks for all you’ve done for my daughter.
6. Grazie di tutto
You can say grazie di tutto to convey your genuine appreciation for someone’s commitment to assisting or facilitating you. That’s valid for the teacher who helped you achieve the best score at your finals as well as the very good friends that threw you a birthday party.
Meaning ‘thanks for everything’, you can cherish it for those times when you’ll be covered in kindness.
Example:
La festa è stata un successo! Grazie di tutto.
Party was a hit! Thank you for everything.
7. Ti/La/Vi ringrazio
Another way to say thank you in Italian is the verb ringraziare (to thank). You must include the direct object pronoun to specify who you are thanking. Ti is the equivalent of you in its singular form. If you are referring to a group of people you should use vi, the plural form of you.
On the other hand, when you’re thanking someone you haven’t met before, you must use la. It is singular and the Italian formal way to interact.
To stress even more how grateful you are, you can put adverbs like tanto or molto – meaning a lot – at the end of the expression.
Example:
La ringrazio tanto per il suo aiuto, signor Jones.
I thank you very much for your help, Mr Jones.
8. Grazie assai
Assai means literally a lot, or even too much in certain contexts. This expression is very informal and especially spread in the southern regions of Italy, such as Campania and Sicily – but also in the city of Rome.
Although it’s a sort of dialectal form, it remains understandable by people from the whole country.
Example:
Grazie assai per il passaggio!
Thank you so much for the lift!
9. Tante grazie
An expression to say thank you in Italian that is quite similar to the previous example, is tante grazie. It basically means ‘thanks a lot’, since tante can be translated as many or a lot of.
Example:
Tante grazie per il pranzo!
Thanks a lot for the lunch!
10. Grazie tante
Instead, you should be careful when inverting these two words. Grazie tante is almost always used as a sarcastic phrase to convey quite the opposite of a thanking. The ironic tone and the context are the keys. In that case, it translates to a caustic ‘thanks a lot’ to express annoyance for a drawback.
Example:
Giulia ha chiamato stamattina. Grazie tante per avermelo detto!
Julia called this morning. Thanks a lot for having told me!
11. Grazie ancora
Showing repetition, Italians use this expression to thank someone again. And that’s what it means in English.
So, when you had a marvelous night at the restaurant with courteous waiters and a delicious dessert on the house, you should thank them again and again for their kindness!
Example:
Ecco a voi lo scontrino. Buona serata! – Grazie ancora! Buonanotte!
Here’s the receipt. Have a good night! – Thanks again! Goodnight!
12. Le sono molto grato
Literally: ‘I’m very grateful to you’. You won’t hear it that often, as it’s usually a very formal expression that people tend to put in letters or emails – especially when they’re looking for a job.
Thus, you can find it in settings like business meetings or conversations with strangers or acquaintances.
Example:
Le sono grato per l’opportunità che mi è stata concessa, signorina Stevens.
I am very grateful to you for the opportunity I was given, Miss Stevens.
13. Non ho parole per ringraziarti / Non so come ringraziarti
Something that left you speechless is the reason why you have no words to thank somebody. When you’re feeling gratitude at its core and want to express it, this is the one expression to get over the lack of the right words. And you’ll say thank you in Italian even without them!
Example:
Sono riuscito a consegnare il progetto in tempo. Non so come ringraziarti.
I managed to deliver the project on time. I don’t know how to thank you.
14. Sì, grazie / No, grazie
While you’re surely aware of the ‘no, thanks’ in declining a proposal or an offer, in Italian grazie is used also when accepting it instead. So, ‘yes, please’ translates with ‘sì, grazie’.
In this case, grazie is used for both the positive and negative responses.
Examples:
Vuoi un po’ di pasta? – Sì, grazie!
Would you like some pasta? – Yes, please!
Ci vuoi lo zucchero nel caffè? – No, grazie.
Do you take sugar in your coffee? – No, thanks.
Grazie as an ironic exclamation
Last but not least! Something new learners could not immediately realize is that grazie is quite frequently used sarcastically to highlight strong, obvious evidence of a statement.
There’s no literal translation of the ironic tone, but some possible alternatives in English include ‘it’s not surprising’, ‘of course’ and ‘no wonder’.
Example:
Luca si è prenotato una vacanza alle Hawaii? Grazie, con tutti i soldi che ha!
Luke booked a trip to Hawaii? No wonder with all the money he’s got!
How to pronounce Grazie
Many English people are yet familiar with how to say thank you in Italian. But beginner learners might make this common mistake that could quickly turn into a bad habit. English speakers often tend to leave the ‘e’ off and make it sound more like a grazi.
Here’s a tip: you should pay attention and be sure to pronounce the final ‘e’, which in Italian is never mute.
Now you’re ready to show your good manners to Italian people, especially if you’re taking a trip to our beautiful country. Did you find this guide useful? This time, I won’t ask you to say grazie for it!
