gracias por la cena
/ɡɾaθjas poɾ la θena/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'thank you for dinner' is expressed as gracias por la cena.
The phrase is used to express gratitude to someone who provided or hosted a meal in the evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of gracias (thanks), por (for), la (the) and cena (dinner).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, it is common to say Muchísimas gracias por la cenita, which means 'Thanks a lot for the little dinner'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The preposition por is used here to indicate the reason for the gratitude.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡɾaθjas poɾ la θena/
When do people say it?
A common response to this phrase is de nada (you're welcome).
Did you know?
- In Spain, the timing of the cena is significantly later than in the US or UK, often starting after 9 PM or even 10 PM.
- While cena means 'dinner', in some Spanish-speaking countries the main meal of the day is eaten mid-afternoon, making the cena a much lighter snack.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to leave the table and thank the host in the kitchen or living room rather than shouting across the room.
Examples in context
- ¡Muchas gracias por la cena, está deliciosa!Thank you very much for dinner, it's delicious!
- Gracias por invitarme a cenar, lo pasé genialThank you for inviting me to dinner, I had a great time!
- Muchas gracias por la cena, estuvo deliciosa.Thank you very much for dinner, it was delicious.
- Muchas gracias por la cena.Thank you very much for dinner.
- Gracias por la cena, estaba deliciosa.Thank you for dinner, it was delicious.
- Sofía, gracias por la cena de hoy.Sofía, thank you for tonight's dinner.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are finishing a meal at her house.
- DanielLa comida estuvo increíble.The food was incredible.
- SofíaMe alegra que te gustara, Daniel.I am glad you liked it, Daniel.
- DanielGracias por la cena.Thank you for dinner.
- SofíaDe nada, fue un placer.You are welcome, it was a pleasure.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
