grazie
/ˈɡrat.t͡sje/
The English phrase 'gracias' is expressed in Italian as grazie.
grazie is an expression used to show gratitude or to thank someone. You can use it in several ways, such as grazie per l'aiuto to say 'thanks for the help' or grazie per l'ospitalità to say 'thanks for the hospitality'. To express 'many thanks', you can use molte grazie, although grazie mille is more common.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈɡrat.tsje/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the Spanish word gracias instead of the Italian grazie.
Did you know?
- The word grazie is the plural form of grazia, meaning 'grace'. Saying grazie is effectively offering multiple 'graces' to the other person.
- The phrase grazie is often accompanied by a slight nod of the head or a hand gesture to emphasize sincerity, as verbal thanks alone can sometimes feel abrupt in social settings.
- If you want to be extremely formal, such as when writing to a high official, you might use la ringrazio, which shifts the focus to the act of thanking the person specifically.
Examples in context
- Grazie mille per l'aiuto.Thanks a lot for the help.
- Grazie per il regalo.Thank you for the gift.
- Grazie, sei molto gentile.Thank you, you are very kind.
Example conversation
Alessandro gives Giulia a gift for her birthday.
- AlessandroTanti auguri, Giulia! Ecco il tuo regalo.Happy birthday, Giulia! Here is your gift.
- GiuliaMa non dovevi! Grazie, Alessandro.But you shouldn't have! Thank you, Alessandro.
- AlessandroPrego, spero che ti piaccia.You're welcome, I hope you like it.
- GiuliaÈ bellissimo, grazie ancora!It is beautiful, thanks again!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry grazie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grazie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
