gracias
/ˈɡɾaθjas/ [ˈɡɾa.θjas]
In Spanish, thank you is said as gracias. Wiktionary also lists muchas gracias.
Meaning: an expression of gratitude (intj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| gracias | /ˈɡɾaθjas/ [ˈɡɾa.θjas] /ˈɡɾasjas/ [ˈɡɾa.sjas] (Latin America, Philippines) |
| muchas gracias | /ˌmut͡ʃas ˈɡɾaθjas/ /ˌmut͡ʃas ˈɡɾasjas/ |
If you want to say 'thank you for' something, use the preposition por after it, such as gracias por…
Which one should you use?
While gracias is the standard way to say thank you, muchas gracias is used when you want to be more emphatic, translating to 'many thanks' or 'thank you very much'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and many Latin American countries, the phrase mil gracias is used to mean 'a thousand thanks'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing the reason for your gratitude, use gracias por followed by the thing you are thankful for.
How do you pronounce it?
gracias is pronounced /ˈɡɾaθjas/. It has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
The most common way to respond when someone says gracias is to say de nada, which means 'you're welcome'.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, if you are thanking someone for a gift, it is common to say ¡Qué detalle! which literally means 'What a detail!' but implies 'How thoughtful!'
- In Spanish, the word gracia can also mean 'funny' or 'joke', so saying qué gracia might mean 'how funny' rather than 'what a grace'.
- The word gracias shares a root with the English word 'grace', both stemming from the Latin 'gratia' meaning 'favor' or 'delight'.
Examples in context
- No gracias, ya comí.No, thank you. I already ate.This sentence shows how to use gracias to decline something politely.Tatoeba #5058128 by don_ramon, translation #5057521 by AlanF_US
- Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?Fine, thank you. And you?This sentence demonstrates how to use gracias when answering how you are doing.Tatoeba #532246 by cueyayotl, translation #239430 by sundown
- Gracias por la ayuda.Thank you for the help.This sentence illustrates how to use gracias to thank someone for a specific action using gracias.Tatoeba #1901472 by marcelostockle, translation #2646007 by CK
- 328 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel gives Lucía a book that she wanted to read.
- Lucía¡Muchas gracias, Daniel!Thank you so much, Daniel!
- DanielDe nada, Lucía.You're welcome, Lucía.
- LucíaEs un libro muy bueno.It is a very good book.
- DanielMe alegra que te guste.I'm glad you like it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries gracias, muchas gracias, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gracias, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
