How to Say Thank You in Italian

Expressing Basic Gratefulness

Use grazie to express thanks in most situations. Grazie (GRAHT-see-eh) is the most common way to say "thank you" in Italian. It's acceptable to use in any situation where you would typically thank someone. While Italian does have formal and informal pronouns, grazie is not a word that changes depending on the person you're talking to. For that reason, it's also a good word to use if you're unsure whether to speak to someone formally or informally.

Practice the correct pronunciation of the word grazie. English speakers often pronounce the word "GRAHT-see," pronouncing the letters the same way they would an English word with the same letters. However, in Italian there are no silent letters. The word grazie has 3 syllables. You don't want to pronounce the r in grazie the way you would pronounce an English r either. The Italian r is trilled. You can approximate the sound by thinking about the way you pronounce a word like "butter" if you say it fast. The d sound you make comes close to an Italian r.Tip: Unlike English and some other languages, pronunciation rules in Italian are consistent and Italian words are spelled phonetically. If you learn how to pronounce a letter or combination of letters in one word, it will sound the same in any other word where it appears.

Add sì or no when responding to an offer. If someone offers you something, use sì (see) to indicate that you're accepting their offer, or no (noh) to indicate that you don't want it. Follow with grazie to be polite. For example, if you're walking down a street in Rome and a flower vendor offers you a flower, you might say "no, grazie," to let them know that you aren't interested in buying any flowers.

Using Thankful Phrases

Give many thanks by saying molte grazie. The phrase molte grazie (MOHL-teh GRAHT-see-eh) literally means "many thanks." If you want to go a step beyond the basic grazie, this is a good phrase to use. For example, if you have a special request that someone goes out of their way to fulfill, you might say molte grazie. It's a little stronger than a simple grazie and implies that you understand and appreciate what the person has done for you.

Offer a thousand thanks with grazie mille or mille grazie. Grazie mille (GRAHT-see-eh MEEL-leh) literally means "a thousand thanks," but it's typically used to mean something more like "thanks a lot." The mille can go before or after the grazie without changing the meaning. For example, you might say "grazie mille per il Suo aiuto," which means "thanks a lot for your help." In English, "million" is used more often than "thousand" in this context. You can think of this phrase as similar to saying "a million thanks" or "thanks a million."

Say grazie tante to express deep gratitude. Grazie tante (GRAHT-see-eh TAHN-teh) is another Italian phrase that essentially means "thanks a lot." The word tante means "many," so the phrase literally means "many thanks." Like grazie mille, you can place the word tante either before or after the word grazie without changing the meaning.Tip: The phrase grazie tante can also be used sarcastically in response to a perceived slight or offense, so pay close attention to the tone of voice.

Try grazie di tutto if you're thanking someone for multiple things. The phrase grazie di tutto (GRAHT-see-eh dee TOO-toh) means "thanks for everything." It's generally more appropriate to use if someone has helped you more than once, or if they've helped you in several different ways. For example, if you were staying in a hotel in Rome and the hotel proprietor gave you directions several different times, as well as advice on the best restaurants and the best time of day to visit local attractions, it would be appropriate to say grazie di tutto as you were checking out of the hotel.

Switch to formal pronouns when speaking to people older than you. The word grazie comes from the verb ringraziare, which means "to thank." You can also use this verb to thank someone. However, if you do, be sure to use formal pronouns to address anyone who is older or in a position of authority. If you're speaking to someone your age or younger, or someone you have a close relationship with, you could say ti ringrazio (tee rreen-GRAHT-see-oh), which is the informal way of saying "I thank you." If the person you're thanking is older than you, an adult stranger, or someone in a position of authority, use la ringrazio (lah rreen-GRAHT-see-oh). If you're addressing your thanks to more than one person, say vi ringrazio (vee rreen-GRAHT-see-oh).Tip: Many Italians roll the r at the beginning of the word ringrazio, pronouncing it similar to a Spanish r.

Responding to Thanks

Use prego as the basic response to grazie. Grazie is the most common way to say "thank you" in Italian and prego (PRAY-goh) is the most common way to say "you're welcome." If someone says grazie to you, prego is always an appropriate response, regardless of who the person is or what they're thanking you for. The word prego is the first-person singular form of the verb pregare, which means "to pray." While it's translated as "you're welcome" when said in response to grazie, it literally means "I pray."Tip: If you're traveling in Italy, you'll hear the word prego a lot. You'll hear it said by shopkeepers to ask if you need any help, by restaurant servers leading you to your table or asking to take your order, or by someone at a door indicating you should go through first.

Say non c'è di che if thanks aren't needed. The phrase non c'è di che (nohn chay dee kay) is best translated as "there's no need to thank me." If you did something that you would automatically do for anyone, you can use this phrase to indicate that you didn't go out of your way. For example, if someone thanked you for holding the door open for them, you might respond non c'è di che.

Try di niente to express that it was no big deal. The word niente means "nothing," so you'd translate the phrase di niente (dee nee-yehn-teh) to mean something along the lines of "it was nothing." This phrase is typically considered more casual. You can also try di nulla (dee NOOL-lah), which means basically the same thing.

Ask ma di che to imply you don't know why you're being thanked. The phrase ma di che (mah dee kay) means "but for what?" You can use it as a clever way to let someone who thank you know that there's no need for thanks. Be careful with your tone and body language when you use this. Otherwise, the person may think that you genuinely don't know why they were thanking you.