gracias
/ˈɡɾaθjas/ [ˈɡɾa.θjas]
The English phrase 'thank you' is translated into Spanish 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/ |
gracias is an expression of gratitude. If you want to express more emphasis, you can use muchas gracias.
Which one should you use?
muchas gracias is a stronger and more emphatic version meaning 'many thanks' or 'thank you very much'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to express gratitude for a specific thing or action, use the preposition por after gracias (e.g., gracias por…).
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈɡɾaθjas/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
The most common response to gracias is de nada, which literally means 'of nothing'.
Did you know?
- The word gracia can also mean 'joke' or 'wit', so saying ¡Qué gracia! can mean 'How funny!' rather than expressing thanks.
- When someone says gracias to a waiter in a restaurant, it is common to hear the waiter respond with a usted, which means 'to you' (expressing that the pleasure was theirs).
- The word gracias shares its roots with the English word 'grace', referring to both elegance and divine favor.
Examples in context
- No gracias, ya comí.No, thank you. I already ate.This sentence shows how to use gracias when declining something.Tatoeba #5058128 by don_ramon, translation #5057521 by AlanF_US
- Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?Fine, thank you. And you?This sentence shows how to use gracias when answering a question about how you are.Tatoeba #532246 by cueyayotl, translation #239430 by sundown
- Gracias por la ayuda.Thank you for the help.This sentence shows how to use gracias with the preposition por to thank someone for an action.Tatoeba #1901472 by marcelostockle, translation #2646007 by CK
- Muchas gracias por su ayuda durante este proyecto.Thank you very much for your help during this project.
- Le agradezco mucho su generosa contribución.I greatly appreciate your generous contribution.
- ¡Gracias por todo! Eres un gran amigo.Thanks for everything! You're a great friend.
- Te agradezco un montón por estar siempre ahí cuando lo necesito.I really appreciate you always being there for me when I need it.
- 328 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo gives María a coffee at the office.
- MaríaGracias por el café, Mateo.Thank you for the coffee, Mateo.
- MateoDe nada, María.You're welcome, María.
- MaríaEs muy amable de tu parte.That is very kind of you.
- MateoNo es nada.It's nothing.
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.
